Undying Darkness
by Feichin LeFay
Summary: CHP 15 UP! Sometimes, when you think you have conquer darkness, you find that it is not all around you, but within you? How far would you go to destroy your own inner demons? violences, curses, possible slash
1. Bright Eyes

Note: Post-AOS, say about 3 years. Continuing on from the "Best Ending" Scenario. I'm assuming that Soma was 16 in AOS.  
  
**************************************************************************** *********  
  
The chill-bone hue of the moonlight glowed softly upon the cobblestone; it was so late that anyone still outside had nothing but mischief on their minds. The shrill whistling wind ripped withered leaves from the branches, causing them to dance about the lone figure almost ritual-like, as stray dogs barked and bawled in the otherwise still night. The scent of dew- dropped grass and moonflowers made the air pungent and heavy.  
  
The man seemed immune to the frigid autumn air as he prowled the streets; Shadows stretching out to welcome him with a cold comforting embrace, whispering in his ears of the endless sins of humanity, without prejudice or judgment placed upon the silent words. His dark eyes gleamed brightly as they locked upon a shivering petite creature resting against the lamppost.  
  
As soundless as death he loomed over the hapless person, looking upon her with smoldering, hungry eyes.  
  
The young girl gave a startled gasp as her large doe-like eyes grew large with surprise and dismay. She was shivering in the black cut-off and dark blue low-rise short shorts that barely covered her at all. It was clear by her unsuitable dress for the season, and the late hour she was out that she was a lady of the night, probably a poor runaway that was picked up by the wrong type of man and was forced to work for him to repay the 'debt'. Her stance-shoulders hunched, arms across her soft cleavage, and standing in a manner that one knee crossed over another-give hints that perhaps she was a virgin, that this was her first night out. Though one would suspect her extreme twitching, jittery manner was not just nerves-perhaps that certain man already gotten her addicted to whatever drug he has?  
  
Fallen Angel or Hapless Victim, it didn't manner to the stalker as he circled her, purring like a panther with her cubs, as he traced a finger down her jawline, her olive skin quivered under the touch, gooseflesh appearing on her. Then the man whisper low, his voice husky and dark that he will take her away from the filth of the streets, he would take to where such a petite and pretty young creature would be appreciated.  
  
His smirk grew into a wicked grin as she relaxed and leaned into her touch, liquid eyes slipping close, completely exposed and vulnerable to him. Her rose lips parted in a soft sigh as she raised her head, dark tresses tumbling down to expose her swan-like, unblemished throat. He leaned down, as if to give worship to the beautiful, dew-kissed flesh.  
  
Blood rose to the surface as she jerked, her bee-sting lips opening in a scream....  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~  
  
"AH!" The youth bolted awake, his Sapphire eyes opened in an expression of horror of recognition and dread. He glanced over to the clock, the bright digital numbers reading 11:22 in a flashing pattern.  
  
"Oh just great, not only a nightmare, but the power went out... Was it a natural outage? Or did I do something in my sleep to cause it?" He ruminated aloud, as he ran sweat-soaked palms through his short snowy hair, trying to steady his vital signs. Since about three years ago, he always suspected the strange occurrences that now frequent his life was somehow the doing of the more unsavory aspect of himself.  
  
After a few minutes, Soma Cruz slipped out of bed, his black pajamas clinging to his androgynous frame as he wondered around the house, thinking over the dream. It was so vivid, he could almost tasted the blood of that girl upon his lips, and the warmth of her body.  
  
Did it happen? Did he somehow change while he was asleep and attacked her? Or was it stress of College Life and his "Dark Self" giving him these nightmares to torment him even further? Perhaps he should check the news just in case.  
  
"Of all things, why am I getting it now? I need all the sleep I can get." Soma bemoaned the fact as he quickly popped into the dorm study room to steal a cup of over-brewed campus coffee. After he got back with the questionable liquid, he plopped on the couch that some of his companions (He can't really call them friends) had nicknamed the "Concrete slab", and thanked himself a million times for resisting the urge to share a room.  
  
He smiled slightly as he found the TV still worked as he turned to the local news station, reading the time on it: 3:45, and the caption about the latest gaffe of the Japanese Parliament.  
  
Well, it's too late to get back to sleep... he thought to himself, only half listening to the report as he practically gulped down the steaming cup. He reached for the small fridge, looking inside to see if he needs to throw away anything after that brief outage, and what he could eat.  
  
"I think I'll spoil myself," He talked to himself (A bad habit he picked up about three years ago that he hasn't really gotten the heart to break) as he decided on what to have this morning. The-white haired young man pulled out the package of bacon, the egg carton, and milk from the refrigerator, closing it with his foot, placing the contents on the counter. After that, he took a bag of pancake mix from the cupboard, pouring the eggs, powder, and milk together, and finally throwing the bacon and two eggs on the stove.  
  
"Five... Four... Three... Two...--" He counted, waiting from the inevitable at this time of night.  
  
"Heya there Cross, Hmmm... Bacon, Scrambled eggs, and pancakes, you really know how to spoil someone." A cheerful male voice caroled as the door was flung open (Faulty door locks rarely work anymore, and the Staff/Soma was too lazy to replace it), as a slender redheaded youth with gray eyes and dark leather clothing barged in. "Mind if I come in?"  
  
"Please, it's Cruz, not Cross, Benji, and why bother asking if you barge in everyday any ways? And by the way, you're right on time." The pale young man groaned. This was nearly a nightly ritual, since Benji would just come in from Night Classes, and Soma always been a morning person, but lately, he's been waking at hours that even he found ungodly. So according to Benji, it means he has the right to "Share" food with him. Some nights it was annoying as hell, on other nights it was actually nice to share company since Mina was still at the Shrine.  
  
"You look like hell, Cruz, what happened?" Benji cocked his head, peering up at the taller boy as he watched the bacon sizzled and curled up.  
  
"... Nightmares, lots of them, so vivid that I thought it was real at first." He grumbled, as he poured the batter into another pan.  
  
"Damn, go see a Doc about it." Benji scratched his ear, shaking his head.  
  
"I doubt one could handle my situation." Soma replied more curtly then he intended. And if I try, they'll put me into an asylum... He thought to himself as he flipped the flapjack over.  
  
"Can you tell me what they are about? Maybe just talking about it helps?" The redhead questioned as he stole the first pancake, taking butter and syrup from the fridge to fix it up.  
  
"No... I can't, it's... Personal, and hard to explain... look... just forget I mentioned it, okay?" He hissed, then sighed softly. "Sorry, I've just been very stressed." Soma rubbed his temple, his dark brows furrowed together in thought, as he scooted the eggs across the hot skillet, watching them become yellow and fluffy.  
  
"You sure? Maybe if it's too personal, you should write it down, or talk to someone you trust deeply about it?" The college sophomore asked with some concern, as he eyed the served bacon with greedy eyes. "If its bugging you this much, I doubt it's gonna go away." He stated as he nabbed half of the bacon and the eggs with a fork he took from Soma's cupboard.  
  
"Maybe I will, I just don't know who...." He trailed off, for once not yelling at Benji for stealing food. "So... What is going on?" He started awkwardly; he never really initiated a conversation with the daily intruder before, just always letting him control the subjects. He gathered what food was left and slide into the chair.  
  
"Well, There was a power-outage in the dorm, guess you were probably asleep, If it weren't for the emergency back-up of word, I would've lost a good third of my law thesis, it lasted only about a half-hour or so. Oh, I heard those Frats had to evacuate their houses because of a rat infestation, remember, last month it was worms! It's really pathetic, isn't it?" He chortled as he pictured those brave, strong jocks feeling in terror from little earthworms.  
  
"Oh...." Soma blanched at the news; it was another thing that he always suspected was his fault, almost every month it seems that the Fraternity houses often suffer from vermin infestations of one type or another. Of course he never did ask if it had happened before he moved onto campus, but he had a sneaking suspicion that the answer was no.  
  
"What's wrong, Cruz, shouldn't you be happy, after all isn't most of those creeps who pick on you are from those Fraternities?" He spoke between bites, savoring every taste.  
  
"They could get sick... Oh, I better get dressed and into class, so I'm afraid you have to go... right... now...." The snow-hair man rose to his feet, 'helping' the night owl up and out the door rather forcibly, not wanting to talk about it any further.  
  
"Jesus Christ! You could just say you want me to leave!" The redhead yelped as the door slammed shut. "He needs to work on his manners...." He muttered to himself as he walked back to his room.  
  
"Sorry, but I don't want to talk about it." Soma told himself as he pulled out a blue long-sleeve shirt, black jeans, and that white duster of his that he never found the heart to part with, despite the faint traces of blood and god-knows-what-else that seems like only he could see. "I can't believe it hasn't even gotten ripped considering the hell I've been through." He pondered out loud as he stripped himself of his pajamas, pausing to look at his body in the mirror.  
  
He had let his moon-pale hair grow out to just below his shoulders, the slightly wavy locks framing his slender face, his midnight blue eyes has dark circles around them, which contrast sharply with his smooth, ivory skin. He scowled slightly, the hand resting on the mirror slowly clenching into a tight fist; his eyes squeezed shut as he felt disgust rising up in his throat upon seeing the scars upon his body. Those poison-irritated claw marks of the Skull Millione, the deep gash from the Final Guard, the numerous, puncture wounds from the talons of the harpies, and other shallow injuries that have all but completely disappeared. To him, they were disgusting; proof he doesn't want that what he has been through wasn't just a horrific nightmare.  
  
With that, Soma jerked away, turning his back against the mirror, shoving his slender legs into the pants, and pulled them up. He had thrown the shirt on just as quickly, and returned to the table to finish his food. Unlike what he said, he did have an extra two hours before he had to walk to class.  
  
The foreigner ruminated about his life as he paced the room, at one point he went to see if he could finish the term paper on the psychological purpose of mythological monsters, but his mind was too far away in distance and time to really think on it. He stood transfixed at the sinking moon, fingers tracing the form of the elm branches cradling the celestial object... it seems that if he looked hard enough, he could see the form of...  
  
"SHIT!" He flew away from the window, and nearly knocked himself on his back. "Damn, God-damn... You are not seeing monsters Soma, monsters exist only in the Demon Castle, and that's gone now, remember? So you better stop looking for monsters, okay? Okay." The near-albino groaned to himself as he steadied himself, closing the blinds, shutting out the mesmerizing moon.  
  
"Moon watching leads to lunacy, quit it." He muttered low to himself as he shuffled through his textbooks, reading books, and resource materials, trying to keep himself in the now, as he continued to have a conversation with himself, for the same reason. "Gods, look at all these, Lovecraft, Rice, King, Stoker, Tsukiyaroo, Arashi. Fuck, I try to close that part of me, but even in these minor details, I find I am opening myself to it. What the hell am I going to do?" He scowled, throwing the boxes into a cardboard box, and planned to call the second-hand store first thing after class.  
  
"What the hell am I going to do?" He cursed and muttered to himself as he decided to leave early, and slammed the door behind him, not caring if he woke anyone up, too lost in his thoughts to notice the lack of humanity around him, nor the Sylphs playing mischief with the russet-toned leaves.  
  
He just wanted to be a normal introverted, sexually questionable, psyche major, college student. God, was it too much to ask?!  
  
Evidently, it is... He thought that self-supplied answer bitterly to himself as he stopped in front of Professor Hekate Thanatos' lecture room; he looked over the name and numbers of it without really reading it. Then he sighed as he knocked on the door, and then entered, thinking it would be a long day.  
  
He didn't know just how long it would just be for him.  
  
**************************************************************************** ********** I think everyone talks to themselves when alone, and the last two names on the list are completely made it, if they actually belong to any authors, it is pure chance.  
  
Standard disclaimer here, folks, no sue, okay?  
  
Brownie points to anyone who spot the secret in the fic! 


	2. Downtown

Peg:Note: what was suppose to be the second chapter is pushed back to the third for better plot development, and at the moment it seems weak and needed serious Revamping (excuse the unintentional pun).  
  
BTW, you must listen to Jangli Jaggas, a Pakistani-base Metal/Gothic band that have a few CV remixes and several other Castlevania-inspired songs. It's the perfect fan fic writing music. **************************************************************************** ********  
  
"Seigmund Freud is the father of psychoanalysis and modern dream interpretations." Soma recited from the textbook, as he rubbed his temple slightly and then pulled out his pad, taking down notes as he continued to read out loud. He believes people act on two basic desires, Eros, lust, and Thanatos, Violence or...!" He paused as his slanted eyes shot wide open at the definition.  
  
Death! Thanatos means Death! Could my Professor be...? No, it can't be. I think I'm finally cracking up. Okay, I better stop studying and find something to get my mind off of things... Soma groaned to himself as he rested his head in his hands.  
  
"Come in...." The pale man muttered as he heard the knock on the door.  
  
"Hey Cross." Benji barged in with a crooked grin across his face, which died upon seeing the taut form of the loner. "Say, what's going on? You don't look so hot." He leaned over.  
  
"Are you suppose to be asleep at this hour?" Came the grumbled reply, as the taller youth buried his face deeper into his palms.  
  
"Nah, your insomnia is contagious, I couldn't get some forty winks." The redhead shrugged as he tugged the leather satchel on his moonstone and turquoise necklace. "You seem tense, say, how about we get off campus and bum around?" He forced a cheerful grin, getting in the more serious youth's face.  
  
"Bum around...?" Soma muttered numbly as he looked straight into glittering hazel eyes.  
  
"Yea, fool around, hang out, that kind of thing. Wanna go?" He asked as he threw the white coat at Soma. "By the way, why in the hell do you wear that coat all the time?"  
  
"Okay." He shrugged, then caught his coat. "Huh, What do you mean? I like it!" Soma immediately retorted as he pulled it on. "It's comfortable, warm, and I look good in it, so what's wrong with that?" He went to continue on, but paused to think on what he said, and found it ridiculous that he had defended an article of clothing, but that's what he just did. "Besides what about that silly necklace of yours?" The white-haired man retorted.  
  
"Nothing, it's just well... well-known, I mean, get some variety once in a while." Benji shrugged. "And point taken." He grinned sheepishly as he unconsciously buttoned and unbuttoned his leather bomber jacket, watching the near-albino putting on the coat himself. "All right, let's go!" He turned to run into the hall but was halted by a firm hand on his shoulder. "What gives?" He blinked in confusion as he tilted his head.  
  
"Not so fast, Just what are we going to do, and why ask me?" Soma questioned; his expression showed confusion. and distrust? He wasn't sure about it, for it was the first time someone asked him to join them in any sort of recreational activity.  
  
"Just relax, as I said, we'll just go downtown, maybe check out the sites. Nothing more, nothing less, and besides, looks like you need to get out more often." The redhead grinned in that cocky, crooked way that gave him the air of a trickster.  
  
"... All right, perhaps I need to unwind. Thanks for the offer." The foreigner nodded slowly as he chewed his pale lower lip out of habit. "Ah!" He yelped as he was literally dragged from his dorm room.  
  
"Trust me, I'll make sure you have some fun!" Benji chirped as he looked back on the startled young man.  
  
"Have fun where?" Came a sweet soprano in a rather stern tone of voice. The men stopped in their tracks and turned to the student attendant of the mix-gender complex. She was a slender, feline-like woman with platinum curls that tumbled down her back in an elegant, and yet careless manner, her green-blue eyes glisten, and overall, she had a very angelic appearance to her, but had a mettle that was stronger then titanium. "Well, will you answer me? Well then, Tsukikyobi, Cruz?"  
  
"Downtown, Des or are there rules against that now?" Benji groaned as he rolled his eyes at the usage of his last name. It was no secret that Odessa Adler was the strictest S.A on the campus, and considered a cold fish by most fraternity boys. Well, maybe not cold fish, but too business- oriented.  
  
"It's not, however, you better set a good example of our university." Odessa warned sternly as she hugged the clipboard to her chest, then walked over to Soma, smiling a little. "I'm glad you decided to go out and have some fun, some of us are starting to get worried about your health."  
  
"Uh, thanks, Miss Adler." He muttered softly as he looked down at her; and immediately he was swamped with a strange dull throbbing feeling deep within himself as their eyes met. It was there in the back of his mind since he came here a freshman, but lately... that feeling he gotten from being around the woman was more pronounced, conceding with his heightened awareness of the air elementals and specters that surrounds him... calls to him... and coaxes him-  
  
Stop that stop thinking like that! You're not him, and should not think like him. The young man cursed to himself.  
  
"You okay, Cross? You seem to be zoning." The warm baritone questioned as an arm went around his shoulders. "Earth to Cross."  
  
"Oh!" Soma yipped very softly, then rubbed his forehead sheepishly and gave out a wistful sigh. "I was just. thinking, that's all, you don't have to worry."  
  
"Don't do that too much, Cruz, that's not very good for you. Well, can you do me a favor while you're out? I would do it myself, but I have an Econ exam I can't miss, and after that a S.A meeting that I just simply can't afford to miss, and then I got to schedule a school spirit activity for the complex-" She started, as she flipped through the papers.  
  
"We get the picture, what do you need, Des?"  
  
"Here's a list of a few books I need, and oh, I need some Thyme, Garlic and Rosemary, I'm fixing soup for the charity luncheon, and I just realize I don't have enough for it. Here's the money for them." Odessa smiled sweetly at Soma, but briefly shot Benji a chilly glance that warned him not to forget it. "Well, I better be going to class now, Good bye, Cruz." She bowed. Then she turned on her heels, and hurried down the hall, somehow maintaining the grace of a swan as she did so.  
  
"Now let's get going before Des outlaws off-campus breaks!" Benji urged as he latched onto the hand again, tugging at it. "I'll show you how to have fun!"  
  
"All right... But I draw the line at strip joints and the like, I am not interested in such things." The white-haired youth cautioned as he resigned to being dragged.  
  
"Me take you a house of sin? You're being insulting Cross!" Benji pouted in mock moral outrage.  
  
"Soma Cruz, not Cross." Soma corrected automatically, though he never had the heart to tell this oddball why he exactly hated being called 'Cross'.  
  
The pale-haired young man found Benji was a very difficult person to keep up with, even if the said man had not let go of his hand while he was being given a whirlwind tour of downtown. Soma felt tensed and at unease in the throng of humanity that went past them, but most of all completely lost and disoriented  
  
"What's wrong? You look tense." Benji poked him; a goofy grin plastered on his face.  
  
"Nothing, I'm just not a social person." He replied with a huff as he jerked away from the annoying finger. "So, where are you going to take me?"  
  
"There's this strip mall nearby that is full of the most interesting shops you'll ever see, I'll show you!" The redhead replied with a smirk as he hooked an arm over Soma's.  
  
"But... I'm broke!" Soma protested, as he was lead down the street, he became very self-conscious about the looks he had received from people around them.  
  
"That's because you're a college student." He smirked, but shook his head when he saw that the blue-eyed one didn't get the joke. "Ah well, we'll just do price-comparison on inflatable chairs and ramen cups!" The shorter man laughed off the concerns.  
  
"What...?!"  
  
"After all we are college students! Meaning, we're always broke!" Benji sniggered as he looked into the display of a bookshop. "Shoot... They of course have to put that textbook on clearance right after I bought it!" He groaned as he rolled his eyes.  
  
"Because we're college students?" Soma shrugged helplessly.  
  
"Now you get it!" The hazel eyes gleamed brightly as he roared with laughter, watching 'Cross' from the window glass. "Say, how about some gluttonous junk food? I'll pay."  
  
"All right." Soma let a half smile escape as Benji again dragged him, this time into a small food court.  
  
"Look at these new flavors of Ice Cream!" The redhead pulled the near- albino over to look.  
  
"Fried Chicken, Sake, and Octopus*?! I'll pass!" The taller one grimaced at the thought of putting his mouth to such things.  
  
"I'll have a scoop of Fried Chicken Ice Cream, medium Fries, and A large Chocolate Milkshake. And Oh, a medium sprite"  
  
"That would be twenty-eight hundred yen." The server stated as she got out a scoop and cup.  
  
"Why did you get that?" Soma winced at the menu choices and at the amount of money being passed.  
  
"You only live once my friend, might as well do whatever strikes your fancy." Benji laughed off the look of utter disgust. "And you should see your face!"  
  
"Well, I'll just have a... large Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake, and a cup of coffee, plain, black coffee, no fancy mixes or flavors." The white- haired one ordered, he empathized on the plain coffee due to one too many mixed-up orders.  
  
"Twelve hundred yen, Sir. Just a second." The girl smiled as more money was passed, and then resumed the work of filling out orders, letting the two young men talk to each other without interruption.  
  
"I think we better get Odessa's things out of the way first so we don't forget."  
  
"And having to lug them around? Nah, Let's wait and get them on the way back, capisce?" He chuckled as he dismissed the concern with the wave of his hand.  
  
"You're going to forget, I'm sorry, but from what I heard, you don't have a good track record at remembering things." Soma pointed out as he slid into a cushioned booth.  
  
"Only because the stuff wasn't important to me at the time." The more compact man huffed as he gathered straws and napkins. "I do remember stuff that I think is worthy. Like what I am to buy today for next Saturday."  
  
"What happens next Saturday?" He questioned, immediately intrigued by it.  
  
"Can't really say it to you, sorry, it's the rules. Let's see, I need a bit of whiskey... sage, pure rock salt, charcoal, Wolfbane-that last one is somewhat tricky to get, I'll probably have to ride up to the Shrine and take some from there." Benji listed them as he stroked his chin in thought, lips pursed.  
  
"I can ask Mina if she-wait a minute, why would you want Wolfbane? Isn't that poisonous?" Soma tilted his head, looking at the wiry man with a wary gaze.  
  
"Ritual stuff, can't really tell you more." Benji shrugged as he sat the tray down on the table. "No, no, it's nothing like the Satanist crap that the preachers always screaming about!" he waved his hands as he plopped into the booth, shaking his head rapidly. "You can call it Neo- Pagan if you want, it's kind of a nature-worshipping ritual... and before you ask, there's no pretty young women going sky-clad." The redhead snickered.  
  
"I wasn't going to ask that." He sighed as he sipped his shake, savoring the sweet taste of it.  
  
"Thought as much." Benji smirked.  
  
"What is that suppose to mean!?" Came the outraged demand.  
  
"Hey, I didn't mean it in an insulting manner. Relax, I just don't think you're a pervert, unlike certain others we know." He clarified as he nibbled on a fry. "Sorry if it sounded different then I intended."  
  
"... It's all right." Soma responded quietly as he looked at the darkened reflection of himself in his drink. A truer mirror then the glass that hangs on the wall, he thought grimly to himself as the hot liquid quivered from the slightest of movements.  
  
"A yen for your thoughts." Benji whispered softly as he briefly touched Soma's creamy, delicate hand with his roughened peach-tone one, then as quickly as the touch was made, it was broken off.  
  
"Just thinking...not very pleasant things I would admit."  
  
"Hey, everyone has morbid thoughts at times, it's pretty normal." The redhead shrugged it off gently, his hand had absent-mindedly rubbed the satchel again as he locked eyes with the taller man. "If you want to talk about it, I'll listen, if you don't, that's a-okay with me as well."  
  
"Excuse me gentlemen, there's a 30 minute time limit on a table, and you just expired the time, would you mind leaving right now?" The server tapped the two men on their shoulders, and urged them with feigned politeness.  
  
"All right, we're going, don't get your pants in a knot!" the smaller of the two got up, and waved his hands in a sign of submission and mockery.  
  
"We'll leave." Soma Cruz shrugged as he took a finishing sip on his milkshake before he tossed it.  
  
And with that the men went on their way, their minds are not on the  
troubles of the nineteen year old's troubled soul... for the moment. 


	3. Rushing Headlong

Note: Last chapter, the ice cream flavors are those that actually existed in Japan. And I'm trying to show the time frame this took place in. This chapter turned out weaker then I hoped. This is a Week after "Trust me" **************************************************************************** *********  
  
"Oh God, Oh my fucking god!" Soma nearly screamed as he slammed the door behind him, his whole body trembled from fear and shock, but most of all from self-hatred. He slid down the door, his eyes fixed wide, his chest heaved with emotional trauma. He doubted he could hold anything in his hands now.  
  
Why... Why did it... have to happen...? The pale young man shuddered as he forced himself onto his feet. He could feel it inside him, more indistinctly then ever. Why must I be him?! He screamed to himself, his fist almost smashed itself into the wall.  
  
"Shit... Fuck, god damn, what's going on Now?" He hissed as he wobbled into the bathroom, afraid of what he may see.  
  
Hey pretty boy, been sucking some cocks lately? Why don't ya suck the professor's, you fairy! The young man can still hear Ushio's obnoxious voice ringing in his ears, and his blood still boiled with the pent-up anger that had been released.  
  
Damn... Why did I blow up like that? He growled to himself, for the moment unaware of what's around him.  
  
/ "Come on! This is old, just let me go on my way." The lanky foreigner grumbled, picking up the dropped books. "And besides, how would you know if I'm gay or not? Are you the judge of that? Is everything the way you think just because you said so?" He snapped. This wasn't the first time he was held up by Ushio and his thugs.  
  
"Oh... Look at the fairy trying to act like a real man. I betcha you want to go down on any of us, you little faggot!" Another man cackled, stepping on Soma's back.  
  
"I rather kiss a Medusa Head." The pale young adult spat in response as he tried to push the foot off. "Get off you asshole!"  
  
"What was that?!" Ushio snarled as he yanked the smaller youth off the ground, his face mere inches away from Soma's, causing the coat-wearing man to gag from the smell of stale beer.  
  
God, there must be some way to get out of this mess... He winced, as the insults and threats pounded into his ears without meaning, becoming dull incoherent noises to him, he couldn't focus on anything around him... except everything seems... Darker.  
  
Oh Lord, what is going on?! Am I going to pass out?! Oh Shit... Not now, Lord don't let me faint at this moment! The blue-eyed man prayed to himself, fearing the worse if he indeed lose consciousness. Soma had no doubt that these men would probably try to maim him while he was unable to defend himself. Oh god... it's getting darker... What are they saying... ugh... I'm getting numb... Shit....  
  
"All right Son, where's the weapons?" A booming voice interrogated as a bulldog-like face invaded his space.  
  
"Ah! What...?" Soma shouted, looking around him. How long was I out...? Holy Mother of God!  
  
There were Ushio and the two other football players sprawled across the campus ground. Ushio was against a flagpole that was snapped in two, his entire face beyond recognition, the quarterback Muyo had suffered from long deep gashes down the torso, which was excreting black-colored pus. Finally, the last man was sprawled on the ground, literally looking like a doll that a child stepped on. Blood was on his clothes, on the ground, at the flagpole, in fact, in every conceivable surface within a twenty-foot radius was not left unmarred.  
  
"I said give me the weapons." The securit-correction, police officer- stated sternly as the student body looked on with horror, and morbid fascination, all eyes fixed on him.  
  
"I don't have weapons! I don't know what happened! I blacked out! When I came to... I saw this!" Soma exclaimed, visibly upset, gesturing wildly at the gory scene.  
  
"Likely story, now be a good boy and do as you're told." The regular 'College Cop' snarled, and grabbed him by the arm. "Or else you're going to be in jail until your hair turns... eerr, Well until you're dead!"  
  
"I'm telling the truth! I don't know what happened! Let me go!" Soma snapped as he goes to twist away from the bear of a man. "I honestly don't know what happen!"  
  
"Liar! You better tell the truth before I twist your arm!" The rent-a-cop snarled, his pastrami-tainted breath beared heavy upon the near-albino's face, which caused him to gag.  
  
"Now Wait a minute you idiot, that is not how you handle som-" but before the Officer could finish patronizing the security guard, the young man yanked free and bolted from the scene, and somehow despite the blood- stained white overcoat, he was out of sight. /  
  
Then sound of running water snapped the man out of his thoughts, staring at the tanned hand that rested on his own, and at the water vapor rising up from the bathroom sink.  
  
"B-b-Benji?!" His voice and expression was tainted with shock and strangely relief as well.  
  
"Sssh... Relax, I heard what happened. That was some pretty weird shit, but I think something else is going on that nobody knows about, I mean, you're not the type of person who'll kill! In fact, how the fuck could you send that linebacker flying, let alone have him break that flagpole?" The redhead rambled as he removed the stained coat, and then helped the sophomore clean himself up. "Damn, I think you have to write off that coat of yours."  
  
"Are... they still looking... for me?" Soma whispered numbly.  
  
"Yea, I'm surprised they didn't get here before I did. Look, maybe you should get out of here... Here's my jacket, and my cap. Get some sunglasses, no offense, but you stand out like a sore thumb." The smaller man handed the objects over, and then slung his backpack on his shoulders.  
  
"Why are you doing this for me? They think I maimed them!" Soma nearly shouted, not believing the risks that Benji is going through.  
  
"Murder, that guy that gotten slashed and poisoned died before an ambulance arrived." Benji corrected. "And besides, one I think you're innocent, and second, you may not believe so, but I consider you a friend." He smiled crookedly, throwing him the bomber jacket, and 'Tigers' baseball cap. "Do you have anyone you can go to, hell, I'm going with you, they probably put an APT on any college-age guys trying to leave town on their own."  
  
"Tsukikyobi, Cruz, you are not going anywhere." The all too familiar voice of authority invaded the room. "Running will only make you more guilty then you already appear." Odessa lectured, her teal eyes narrowed at the young men.  
  
"Come on Des! They already proclaimed him guilty! And the damn Frats are out looking for Soma's blood! Please, he's going to get lynched if he's caught now!" Benji growled, each emotion-heightened word was edged with a dry, dangerous hiss, his gray-hazel eyes flashed with a myriad of emotions.  
  
"I can't let you guys go, that's against the law! Tsukikyobi, you're planning to assist a possible murderer to escape! I'm sorry, but if you run it's going to be worse for you guys in the long run!" Odessa stood her ground at the door, arms folded across her chest and clipboard. "I'm going to report you to the proper authorities."  
  
"Odessa, please...." Soma finally spoke up, his voice a strained whisper, tears had started to form at the corner of his eyes, which made them seem to glow. "I didn't mean for it to happen, I don't know what happened... I couldn't remember anything, I know it's my fault...." He forced himself to swallow as he felt his throat constricted itself from the fear, and anger that raced through his blood. "But I'm afraid... I hate to say it, but I'm terrified, absolutely frightened about this. I am even more afraid about what would happen, what I may end up doing to all those people if they caught me."  
  
"Come on, you said you didn't know what happened, so why are you assuming that you did it?!" Benji sighed in exasperation as he tried to steady the taller boy. "Look Odessa! He's afraid, are you going to throw him to the wolves?! Isn't it your duty to protect us from avoidable harm?! They're going to kill him! Odessa, they will kill him for this! I am sure they didn't believe him, and I doubt they ever will!" The redhead  
  
"Damn you, Tsukikyobi. You know just how to push me. All right, you two can go if you really feel that Soma will be in danger if the police catch him. Just what am I to do?" She bemoaned, hand on her forehead.  
  
"Come with us then!"  
  
"Benji, I can't! It'll be very noticeable if I the Student Administrator of this hall disappeared with a suspected killer, Look, you go run off, and I'll give you an alibi!"  
  
"Stop talking as though Cross is a killer!" Benji raised his fist, but dared not to throw it toward Odessa. "Des, you know Cross doesn't intentionally hurt anyone, and-"  
  
"Tsukikyobi, Cruz, just go! You don't have time!" She shooed them off towards the open window, which was facing the currently empty meadow that separated the college from the town.  
  
"I hope the damn drain pipe is strong enough." The redhead cursed to himself as he reached for it, and shimmied down inch, by inch, and prayed to his gods that the pipe won't break under his weight. Even though Benji was smaller by a few inches, he was more compact in build, which made him weighed more then Soma.  
  
"At least it's not slippery." The creamy-skinned man told himself as he summoned the courage to follow the other man down the drain pipe, the fear of getting caught made him moved along at an almost reckless speed, and a few times he almost crashed into Benji.  
  
"Good luck you guys!" The young woman shouted from the window as she watched the men ran off as she closed the window. "I hope I'm doing the right thing." She whispered as she closed the door, for once the lock caught, and held the door firmly in place.  
  
"So, got any place to go? Anyone you think that can help us?" Benji shouted as he broke into a long striding lope, and kept up with the taller boy's more haphazard pace.  
  
"There's... someone who might... if I can only contact him...." Came the breathless reply.  
  
"Damn, that's not good."  
  
"I think we should leave town and then figure on what to do." Soma wheezed as he stopped; the adrenaline and uneven pace of his run had stolen his breath.  
  
"We better not stick around for too long. Who's this person you think can help us...?" Benji asked, his hazel eyes dark with concern. He waited patiently for his friend to recover, fearful of what may happen if they get caught.  
  
"I'll explain later, we don't have time, and the story is too long to tell right now." With that, the taller of the two bolted for the town.  
  
"Hey! Wait up!" Benji shouted as he chased after Soma. "Cross! Don't go alone!"  
  
I am alone... Soma thought to himself bitterly. You don't understand Benji, no one ever will understand it! 


	4. Ride like the Wind

Note: More Futurism stuff, all base on research and experiments I've heard of, so there's a strong chance some of this stuff can become common. I borrowed from legends and folktales for some of the stuff you will find that are on the supernatural side. And unless otherwise noted, all the characters are actually speaking Japanese, some more weirdly then others. Also: Not only CV is not mine, neither is the lyrics to Whitesnake's song "On my own". **************************************************************************** *********  
  
"Fuck! What do ya mean the trains are locked?!" Benji hissed at the news that the ticket-master had told the two men.  
  
"It's quite simple, they are worried about the killer skipping town, surely you can wait until they inspect everyone's passport." The young woman bowed apologetically and smiled weakly.  
  
"Passports?! Since when do people carry passports when they are just going to a different town? O-Kami-sama, this is ridiculous!" The redhead cried desperately not to raise his voice to the poor attendant, but by gods! This was nutty!  
  
"Benji, let's just find another way out of town, all right?" Soma poked his companion in the rib as he glanced over the dark shades. "If we keep yelling, we're sure to draw attention." He whispered, as he shifted his weight for the fifth time.  
  
"Yea, looks like we're going no where here." The redhead spoke quietly. "So where to now?" He shrugged as they both left the station, just in time to avoid the police officers that just arrived. "Wait!" He snapped his fingers at the dawn of an ideal. "You mentioned one time you knew someone at the Habuka Shrine outside of town, why not go there and wait until things calmed down a little?"  
  
"Benji, I don't know... I don't want to get Mina into trouble, but... I don't think we have any choice but to get caught." The taller man sighed deeply; his icy eyes seem to be drawn to the ground rather suddenly.  
  
"Come on, Cross, we are not giving up, and I know they'll crucified you if we get caught! Okay, this is risky, but I have a jeep in the storage faculty, as long as they don't get to snooping there, I think I can drive us out of town for the shrine before any one realized what is going on!" He spoke wildly, eyes gleamed with a mad plan and urgent hope as he started to dragged the hapless Soma towards the said faculty.  
  
"Why are you doing this for me...?!"  
  
"You're a nice guy, and nice guys shouldn't have to put up with shit." The redhead grinned as he slipped a key from his pocket, and unlocked the garage door. As he pushed it upwards, Soma can see the bright blue glint of a 2032 Nissan Asteroid, three matte-black Kawasaki motorcycles, and a dull olive-drab army-issue jeep. "Don't touch the Nissan, that belongs to Odessa, and the Kawasakis are from the Frat boys."  
  
"The Jeep is yours?" The Foreigner raised his brows, almost disgusted by the appearance of the GP vehicle.  
  
"Yea, bought it from a guy who stole it from the US Army and shipped it home piece by piece. Any ways, let's go!" He leaped over the door and into the driver's seat, and in one fluid motion, he pushed the passenger door open.  
  
"This thing will stick out." Soma whined softly as he slipped in. "And it's ugly as a gorgon covered in crap." He grumbled  
  
"Hey! It is not ugly! It has it's own rug. aw, shit, you're right, it is ugly." The redhead conceded as he turned the key in the ignition. "Gorgon? So you also read mythology as well?"  
  
"Well... sort of." The blue-eyed young man shrugged as he pulled the cap down further on his head, as the automobile lurched into life. "Ugh, does it have to move like a Bull as well?"  
  
"Stop whining, it's meant to go over all terrain, doesn't mean it has to do it smoothly!" The redhead snapped as he turned onto the street. "Okay, let's just calm down, act natural-"  
  
"Isn't that a contradiction, 'Act Natural'?" Soma questioned, as he batted the fuzzy dice that hung from the mirror.  
  
"You know what I mean." The wiry young man groaned as he took the side streets, scanning for a way out of the city that is least likely to be guarded. "So any ways, since we're on the run together, Cross, We should well, I guess try to figure each other out, and our expectations out of this."  
  
"Do you know just exactly what you are doing?" The lithe teenager demanded, for he still could not believe that Benji was all there.  
  
"Obstructing a law enforcement officer, Assisting the escape of a criminal suspect, Unlawful possession of a non-lethal crowd-control projectile, and making a right lane turn without turning on the turn signal. And they are a Class-A Felony, a Class-C Felony, a Gross Misdemeanor, and a traffic infraction. I am a criminal law student, you know." He cackled maniacally.  
  
"You are either asking for a bone-head award, or you are completely insane."  
  
"Do I get a choice?" Benji teased as he started to press onto the accelerator, his hazel eyes at first glittered, but then faded upon seeing the disapproving appearance. "Guess not."  
  
"You're not from around here, obviously, I think you had a good thing going for you at the University, and I hardly consider us to be friends, why are you helping me?"  
  
"As I said, I hate it when nice guys finished last. You're a nice guy, who got into one fucked up mess, and 'sides, you may not think so, but I think you're a swell fella who just needs a little chance." The mix-blood young man shrugged as he turned down the avenue. "Keep the hat and sunglasses on, okay?"  
  
Soma just sighed as looked away, completely convinced that his companion is either the most naïve idiot he has ever met, completely insane, or both. Or perhaps he has an ulterior motive? A sinister voice whispered in his mind. With tha, azure eyes flickered over to the driver, and immediately dismissed the ideal. There is no way in god's name can that type of person can act so cleverly.  
  
"That was not done by a human, am I correct?" The soft Baritone whispered, for moment gray eyes became as fluid and reflective as mercury, the gentle half-smirk hardened into a grim frown.  
  
"Why would you say that?" The near-albino whipped his head around, eyes had widened in surprise.  
  
"Cross, you see...--"  
  
"Halt!" An uniformed officer shouted as the college sophomore slammed on the breaks.  
  
"Fucking A! What gives?" Benji muttered in English as he glared darkly at the cop.  
  
"License, Registration, and State your business."  
  
"All right, all right, don't get your balls in a knot." The redhead cursed in English again as he popped open the glove box.  
  
"Tsukikyobi, I see." The Officer nodded as he compared the ID card to the young man before him, and then scanned his retina, pulling up information on the Laptop in his temporary booth. "You are who you say you are. Now who is this?" He looked over to Soma Cruz, who had been watching the floor.  
  
Shit! This is not good; he'll certainly match me up to my description! We're going to be caught! Soma had shut his eyes as he tried to suppress the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness.  
  
"That's my boyfriend... Sosa!" The redhead said the first thing that had popped into his mind.  
  
What?! Boyfriend!? The freshman squawked wordlessly as he gaped at his companion as though he had grown antlers.  
  
"Err, well." The uniformed man stammered as he turned about two shades green as he literally shoved the paperwork back into Benji's hands. "You're cleared!" He nearly squealed as the gate was raised up.  
  
Immediately, The American pounded the accelerator into the floorboard and zoomed out of the city limits.  
  
"Boyfriend... Boyfriend?! Why did you say that?!"  
  
"It was the first thing that popped in my head! Hey, it worked! I can't believe in 2039 that there are still people who are squeamish about Homosexuals, it's disgusting."  
  
Soma was about to ask, but wisely decided against it, after all, it wasn't his business, was it?  
  
"Here I am, again on my own, going down the only road I ever known. Like a Drifter I was borne to walk alone...." The redhead sung softly in English in a rather off key fashion.  
  
With a sigh of assent, the near-albino settled into his seat and drifted off. 


	5. Sound of Silence

And again the usual Disclaimers on Lyrics/Song-titles. Yes there is something about Benji, but really, a Belmont Reincarnated/Descendant? We'll see guys, we'll see. ^_~ Warning: "Throw-Back" Geekiness, a running gag (that established itself), and general plot. **************************************************************************** *********  
  
"Belt's shot." Soma groaned as he slammed the hood shut. "We're stranded!"  
  
"Nope, let me try something, it won't be permanent, but if this works, we can go for a few more miles, hopefully to a repair shop." The redhead muttered as he unhooked his belt, and then slipped it off. "Let's remove the fan belt, hook this in..." He paused after he opened the hood, and stared at the engine. "Say, Soma, will you do this part? You're hands are thinner then mine."  
  
"Are you sure it'll work?" He questioned as he took the belt from the smaller teen, and slipped it in. "Where in the hell did you learn this?"  
  
"A-Team, Starsky and Hutch, McGuyver, All the good stuff." He laughed quietly as he guided his companion in the set-up. "There, that should do it."  
  
"This better work." The pale one sighed deeply as he jumped back into the passenger seat.  
  
"Trust me, trust me, it'll work, and if we don't find a good place when that belt snaps, we can use yours." Benji shrugged as he popped the bonnet down, and slipped back into the automobile.  
  
"Excuse me? Who says you're the king of belts?" Soma huffed. "I rather not waste my belt on a piece of crap."  
  
"For your information, this piece of crap is our only source of transportation." The mix-raced American stuck his tongue out, and started up the Jeep.  
  
For several miles, they rode on in near-silence, save for the English- language station that was blaring out oldies and modern favorites, and the occasional comment between the two.  
  
Two Belts and Three Hours later, the young men pulled up to a rather desolate-looking roadside motel, with peeling paint and a sign that flickered in and out of existence.  
  
"Stay here Cross, I'll see if the owner will call a Tow, or at least provide another belt." The smaller man urged as he leaped from his seat with surprising agility. "Oh! Almost forgot." He snapped his finger. With that he, spun on his heel, and shut the engine off, which left only the Radio on.  
  
"You and your belts!" Soma yelled after him. With a groan, he slid into the seat, eyes partially closed.  
  
I don't want him to get into trouble, hell I don't want to get into trouble either, we've come too far to just run back, I guess. Damn it! If only Alu-- Arikado left me some way to reach him, maybe this mess would've been over. He was in the government right? Couldn't he sweep this mess under the rug?  
  
It was definitely that part of me... no, not me, him, that did it, for sure. But why? Why now? Why not before? Why not later? Skull Millione, The Balore, Wereleopard, their souls... did they possess me? Or did I-he called them up? Gah! It's confusing as hell!  
  
Huh? Wet? His Cerulean eyes blinked as he saw a droplet splattered on his nose. Oh, it's just rain. He shivered slightly as the darkened sky started to burst open, and wept heavily.  
  
"Hey, Cross, Peso for your thought." The soft accented voice prodded gently as a loaned umbrella was held over him.  
  
"It's nothing, I was just thinking." The near-albino evaded the question as he looked over the redhead. "So what did the guy say?" "Bet you're thinking about what happened." He smiled sadly as he joined the taller man.  
  
"Yea, you can say that...." The Spaniard started slowly; his body language was almost evasive.  
  
"Don't worry, it's not your fault." He assured him, as he leaned over, and turned up the volume of the radio. "Oh yea, 'I love a Rainy Night', talk about a Psychic Radio." Benji laughed weakly, but then grew somber. "Really, it's not, it's just the whole thing was not quite... natural, you know."  
  
"What do you mean?" Cerulean locked with hazel, which had a smoky haze due to the dim light.  
  
"Well you see, I...." He started, but then thought better of whatever he was to say. "What I mean is that just the whole incident just reeked of wrongness, just a sense that we're missing something important, you know it?"  
  
"I don't know it." He lied, and broke eye contact. "Who does this song? I kinda like it." Soma abruptly changed the topic, though he indeed had an interested in the song.  
  
"Eddie Rabbit, yea, he does good stuff. I swear I was born about sixty years too late." He groaned as he absent-mindedly adjusted the umbrella. "Any ways, if you want to confide in me about anything at all, I'm here with a zipped mouth." Tsukikyobi gave a soft, assuring smile.  
  
"... I'll keep it in mind."  
  
There was a long moment of silence, each man churning in their feelings and thoughts privately, and avoided eye contact with the other.  
  
Thanks, but no thanks, you will not understand it at all. Hey, I did it, but it's not really me, it's the Dracula part of me. Good grief, that sounded crazy even to me! Now why is he being so damn nice? Does he want something?  
  
Well he's a swell guy, no question about it, just shy with a shit-load of problems, too bad. Now if only Cross can open up, he doesn't realize what I mean, I don't think. Speaking of opening up--...! Benji! Benji Teetonka Tsukikyobi! You will not think like that! You will not even consider that thought! There, Mental Mother mode off. Cross, whatever it is, just try me, I doubt I would've heard anything new.  
  
"So what did the guy say anyway?" The pale young man broke the silence first.  
  
"Wha?" The wiry one started. "Oh, yea, a tow-truck's coming soon. We could go in if you want."  
  
"No, I actually like sitting in the rain." Soma sighed softly.  
  
"You too? Okay, but if 'Mickey' comes on, I'm going in." He joked.  
  
"What?" He did a double take. "What is 'Mickey'?"  
  
"World's most annoying English-language song." He deadpanned.  
  
"Oh, trust me the Ketchup song is worse, it's my father's favorite." Soma winced.  
  
"Oh, that Spanish one, almost forgot you were a Spaniard." Benji slide deeper into the seat.  
  
"How did you know? I never told anyone on the Campus I was from Spain, except for the Administrators of course."  
  
"You got that bit of an lisp, your 'H' is very harsh, and your 'J' sounds occasionally sound more like H's, I used to grow up in a heavily Hispanic- populated town, so I recognize a Spanish accent when I hear one."  
  
"My, How Observant we are." Soma Cruz replied dryly.  
  
"Since we're on that topic, how was Spain? Is it as beautiful as it's supposedly is?"  
  
"How the hell do I know? My parents keep sending me over to Japan whenever they want time for themselves, which is all the time." The pale man laughed bitterly.  
  
"Ouch, and I thought my parent's divorce was a nasty experience." Benji sympathized, as he goes to rest a hand on the taller man's shoulder. "Soma, if you want to talk, I'll listen."  
  
"It's okay, really." He rolled his eyes as shrugged him off, as the Eagles' 'Sad Café' drifted over the airwaves.  
  
"Suit yourself."  
  
Again it was silence.  
  
Feh, Psychic Radio, I have to admit that it seems like it is, Now if only the stupid radio would also tell me where to find Arikado as well finding mood-fitting music, then I will be impressed. When will that tow truck get here? I'm getting edgy from just sitting around and waiting. And worse this rain is making me sleepy. He yawned, as he tried to fight off the incredible urge to take a nap.  
  
Boy, he's nervous, couldn't blame him, he just reeks of fear, literally. Last time I smell fear that strongly is when Mom... good grief, do I really want to think of that? Well, speak quietly, and carry a Nori-han I say. The redhead though to himself as he checked his pack for the said weapon. Who ever thought glue makes a good weapon? He chuckled to himself.  
  
The soft splattered of rain droned rhythmically on the material of the umbrella in a lullaby-like beat, which added to the dozy feeling that the cold, wet weather brought to the former college students.  
  
"Yea, kinda cute like that you know, all right, I'll let you sleep, you need it." Benji chuckled softly as he turned the volume down on the radio, until it was barely audible. "Good ideal, Cross. Nap-time." He turned in his seat, and went to duct tape the handle to the back of the seat. "There." He crawled down the cushion.  
  
With that, the two dozed off until the tow arrived. 


	6. Senses, Senses

Sorry, I had computer problems, and School PC is having one major bellyache. Well, looks like Soma was actually 18 in Aria of Sorrow – oops, well, I am not changing the age here. And to everyone who's guessing – keep guessing, it's getting fun!  
  
****************  
  
Soma was roosted quite nicely in the crook of the tree, a foot dangled lazily below him as he took in his surroundings.  
  
The forest was sharp and vivid; the gentle wind seemed to caress his body as soft chirps and creeks echo faintly in the midst of these ancient trees.  
  
It was... amazing what one can take in if they only stop for a moment. His azure eyes scanned the corpse of trees, seeing each leaf quivered and seeming to sigh with every touch of the wind – and the mimics crept among them, and despite Soma being able to see them – the sparrows seemed to have glossed over them in their search of food.  
  
And much to his amusement as he looked down, it seems as though Benji wasn't really a natural redhead – that tan was his first clue. Was it brown, perhaps black? Didn't matter really, the albino thought to himself as he watched the smaller man twirled a fan-shaped gingko leaf lazily.  
  
"So Cross..." The American was the first one to break the silence. "Now we're on the Shrine's land, what do you want to do now?" The dark hazel eyes looked up, a lazy smile spread across his boyish features.  
  
"Call me Cruz or even Soma, don't call me cross." Soma murmured automatically. "I know Mina will help me... but her—"  
  
"Her parents hate you?"  
  
"No..." Soma started as he stared at his feet. It was the opposite, they like him—so much that they constantly tried to set him and Mina up to go date each other – an ideal neither of them found too much appeal in. They were almost like the aunt everyone can't stand but yet put up with for the lack of any real plan of handling her.  
  
And well... with what happen – who knows what they might do... Would they want to turn me in – what do I do then? Just give up? The Albino thought to himself, his hand unconsciously grasped at the air – no, he can't just surrender, he ran too long, too far to just give up now – he tasted the sweet air of liberation that comes only when one is threaten with the loss of it – and he certainly did not want to lose it here, now, of all places and time.  
  
"Cross?" Benji murmur quietly as he crept towards the dwelling. "I think I'll just see who's there, and I'll tell you if it's just this Mina girl or someone else, okay?"  
  
"Say, Benji... Maybe you--" The azure-eyed young man sighed softly. No, they should split up – no sense in getting him involved more then he is already.  
  
"Ain't going to go anywhere." The redhead quickly intercepted, and destroyed what the Spaniard was about to say. "In too deep, and I am sure you will probably flounder without some help! Besides, if I run now – what kind of person does that make me, Soma Cruz? Go on, say it."  
  
Startled by the usage of his full name, the albino could not answer the question.  
  
"A jerk, a genuine bona-fide jackass, that's what!" He stuck a thumb to his chest. "And there will be no way in hell is anyone going to have a good reason to call me either." The resolve in his dark hazel eyes was boundless – surely the taller young man would have more success with debating against a tree.  
  
With that, Benji bolted for the house, and flicked on the intercom. I love these modern technology, he chuckled to himself as the intercom buzzed into life.  
  
"Hello, is a Mina Hakuba home?"  
  
"Yes, who is this?" The voice came back, a bit suspicious, and most certainly curious.  
  
"Oh, a friend of a friend, is anyone else with you?"  
  
Soma tensed as he waited for the answer.  
  
Mina meanwhile was also tensing, was it the police again? No, they would have said so if they were from law enforcement. She looked behind her, and with a nod, she turned and answer the stranger.  
  
"If your friend is who I think he is, tell him that the only one else here is another friend of his. Let me open the door." The petite woman unhooked the latches to her door, unconsciously brushing the strand of light red hair from her gray eyes.  
  
"Cross?" Benji looked over, unsure about the turn of event.  
  
"Mina wouldn't betray me, I know it." Soma replied shakily... for a moment, his mind nagged at him, and whispered of sinister scenarios, of friend turned enemy. Then he shook it away – he knew better, and he shouldn't let himself become paranoid.  
  
"Hello, Mister... uh..."  
  
"Benji Tsukiyobi, but call me Benji." The American-born man bowed.  
  
"Soma, will you come out?" Mina called out softly, as she brushed a wrinkle from her blue turtleneck.  
  
And he complied, and for a moment, he said nothing, and observed his childhood friend.  
  
Mina was a year older then he is, and was about a several heads smaller – closer to Benji's paltry height of 5'6" then to his own 6'. The shrine keeper's daughter was quite pretty in a doll-like fashion, with her coppery hair in a pixie cut (though no longer wearing the ribbons she used to three years ago), dark-lashed large rain-cloud hue eyes, and small button-like nose, and pale creamy skin. Her frame was almost boyish, with slender hips and small chest, which made her even more doll-like. She wasn't a knockout or a ravishing beauty queen, but most men would probably take a second glance at her if she walked by. And she had the personality to complement her appearance.  
  
"Oh! Thank god you're safe! Hurry up and get in, you two!" The redhead ushered the men in, and closed the door behind her.  
  
The room was of average size, tasteful in it's eclectic style, and shows signs of life from the sagging cushions of the couch to the beautiful ink paintings that draped over the wall.  
  
There was one other occupant.  
  
Benji swallowed as he fought off a blush as he eyed the raven-haired man that sat regally and stiffly in the armchair. He's too gorgeous to be a man! The mix-race American thought to himself as he tried to politely look away.  
  
Indeed, the stranger was indeed beautiful, almost like a prince of ice. His long pitch-black hair framed the long-lashed golden eyes that watched the three nonchalantly; his expression was strangely piercing, and yet serene in the same breath. The skin was silky, and had the color of vanilla petals; the long and agile fingers were curled around the ceramic teacup his pale lips were sipping from. Tall and lithe, this man could easily tower over Soma if he was standing, and the storm-colored business suit did little to conceal the elegant, androgynous frame. Cold, and yet a fire within him, Benji indeed believed he gazed upon an ice prince.  
  
"Arikado!" Soma somehow managed to restrained himself from tackling the Dhampire, all too happy to see him at last. "So there you were! Good lord, I really needed your help!"  
  
"I thought you would eventually come here, so I waited here where less attention will be drawn." The man rose up—and indeed towered over Soma by a whole two inches, as Benji predicted he would. "And, who is this?" He eyed the smallest man in the room with more then a fair amount of suspicion.  
  
"Benji, he helped me get here."  
  
The ancient man nodded as he folded his arms over his chest, expression didn't change, nor did he comment, even as he noted the necklace of bone, turquoise, moonstone, and sachet around the redhead's neck.  
  
He really is a fucking hot ice prince... and Soma knows him?! Was all that managed to get through Benji's mind coherently. A blush did indeed appear over his face.  
  
"I'll get you guys some coffee, you must be cold from riding in the rain." With a bow, the woman left the room.  
  
"Say, if... you two wanted to talk... I'll help Mina." Benji shifted his weight as he watched the pale men, mind pondering of how close the two are.  
  
"Thanks." Arikado nodded slightly, and faintly gestured to the kitchen – a silent signal of the preference of the redhead to do just that.  
  
"Arikado... what's happening to me?" the albino whispered once he believed his companion is out of earshot– his voice full of despair and fear.  
  
The dhampire formerly known as Alucard looked on almost helplessly at the lost expression that appeared on the smaller man's face.  
  
"The underworld is changing, Soma, as humans become more brazen and arrogant in their minds, relying on the pure science rather then superstition, those that thrive on terror and fear will either die, or evolve, and those that don't, will have to change and adapt to a world that no longer sleeps at night, when cities start to outnumber the forests." He started, as he unconsciously paced, and peered out the window. "The change is usually slow, and subtle to even those who the keenest of sense... but suddenly, a week ago, something happened."  
  
A week... It was a week ago when I killed those men! Soma swallowed nervously.  
  
"Without warning, or reason—nature spirits—thousands of them, just simply died, leaving a power vacuum in the underworld." Adrian—or Alucard—or was it Arikado? brushed his raven bangs from the honey-colored eyes, a sigh filling his deep chest.  
  
"And... is something trying to fill it?" did he squeak? Yes, you idiot, you did squeak in front of him – sheesh! The snowy-haired man scolded himself.  
  
"Yes, However—what it is, I do not know yet – but it seems my father that lies within you is responding to it, his—no, your dark power has awoken again, that much we know."  
  
"Then we must stop whatever it is that's causing him—me—whatever to react like I did to those guys... before I hurt anyone else!" Soma leapt up from his seat, hands outstretched, searching, wondering, questioning the centuries old half-vampire.  
  
"Aye, but we can not start it if we can not understand what it is in the first place."  
  
Benji turned away from the door – he didn't want... but he couldn't help himself, his sharp ears had pricked up at 'underworld', and continued to eavesdropped even when he wished it would just bugger off the conversation. He laughed weakly when Mina looked at him curiously.  
  
I knew it, I knew it, and I knew it! The inner voice cackled. Soma isn't a normal guy... and this proves it! His brained rambled off into a muddled din, as he pulled out a few boxes of pocky.  
  
"Coffee finished brewing, do you want to keep warmer on?" The tinny voice of the coffee machine broke the silence of the kitchen.  
  
"No." Mina commanded the machine as she pulled out some cups. "So Benji, how did you know Soma?"  
  
"Oh, we lived next door, he gets up early, I come in late from my classes-" he stifled a yawn. "We talk a bit, I steal half of his food, and try to get him to go out more—and well, I didn't mean getting out like this." He shrugged.  
  
"Say, this necklace, where did you get it?" The woman abruptly changed the subject—an unconscious habit of hers—as she rubbed the buck-hide sachet between her nails, and felt two curved items in it.  
  
"My Nana made it for me when I was – according to her, it's a Navajo medicine sachet – well, I believe her since she and dad were both full Navajo." He shrugged as he gently removed her hand. "Neat isn't it?"  
  
"The necklace or your Indian blood?" She smirked as she cocked a brow. It was somewhat weird, she just met him, and already she knew about his major (Law), bloodline (Half-Navajo and half-something else), hobby ("You know, all these fancy electro-books, boring, you just don't get the same joy of a paperback!"), and already thought of him in a brotherly manner. She absent- mindedly put away the dishes as she waited for the answer – pondering if all American-born people are as talkative as he is—then again, Soma used to be known in High school for being so aloof and quiet – the so-call Ice Prince.  
  
"Your choice!" Benji simply laughed as he took in a deep breath. "That coffee smells good." He looked back into the den, in time to see Soma Cruz plopped onto the sagging couch with a growl of frustration. "I think you should set the coffee machine to heat up the coffee after all."  
  
"Good plan, so... tell me more about your university."  
  
They sat at the kitchen table, and nibbled on pocky as they waited for the two pale ones to finish. 


	7. Imaginations from the other side

God you guys are ego-strokers! Anyways, pardon any spelling or grammar errors, my PC is just up again after a giant hiccup, and I haven't gotten Word installed yet on it. What you'll see is my hypothesis on the whole schizbang of the series, it may not be correct, it may be completely off by your opinion, but it just a hypothesis.  
  
Two chapters in like, what – three days? This is a record for me! ***********************************************************************  
  
The waning gibbous moon hung heavy and low in the black-violet velvet sky; it was late enough that even the workaholics started to head for home, however, it was too early for the city to nod it's head and fall asleep.  
  
Soma peered over at the dhampire, curious as to the reason why he 'suggested'--more like manhandled him – Soma thought bitterly to himself-- for them to take a walk out on the temple grounds, away from his two redheaded friends.  
  
For once, it was Arikado that broke the silence first.  
  
"There will be many that may try to hunt you down – not for the murder, but for what lies with in you." The voice was cool and soft like morning dew, but sharper then the blade of grass that lies beneath it, the tone of caution lay thick and heavy in the faintly accented voice. "Always be vigilant in action and in word, However, I am sure you know that already, we can not have many learn about the truth of yourself."  
  
The advice was sound, the tone gentle; however, the unconscious glance towards the shrine... disturbed him.  
  
"It's Benji isn't it?" The young man started, his hands rested on his hip. "You don't trust him, do you?"  
  
"Do you trust him?" The raven-hair man deflected the question back.  
  
"Well... he didn't give me reason not to – I mean, he could have turned me in all this time, and he didn't. Benji really went out of his way...." Soma was quite taken aback by the questioning.  
  
Arikado said nothing, for the answer suited him – for now. Nevertheless, he will keep a close eye on them.  
  
"You're unarmed."  
  
The snow-haired man blinked, as his hands instinctively searched his pockets – only to find his keys. Well, that was true... he admitted to himself slowly as it dawned on him just possibly why the ancient one suddenly pointed that out.  
  
"Come with me, Soma, and we shall remedy that problem." With that, the business-suit clad dhampire moved ahead, and down towards where a matte black Lexus was parked, the tinted windows reflecting the glow of the moon.  
  
Soma watched silently as the dhampire unlocked the doors, and slid into the sleek, dark vehicle – it was clear that Arikado was searching for something.  
  
The Clamith Solaris! He gasped inaudibly as the vampire's son wrapped the bundle of cloth and revealed what lay beneath the folds.  
  
The sword's silver-white blade shined and glittered like the stars that reflected off it, the etched cross and saintly icons almost glowed like a mirror that mimicked a blazing flame. The hilt and crossbar was of steel, covered in gold, in rope-like twisting patterns, inlay of garnets and the nearly prismatic blues of the cats' eye gem. The pommel was the crowning piece, a Byzantine cross set with a dark red ruby in the middle and pearls on each of the bars. Even the sheath was elegant, of black leather and rings of gold-coated steel to support it's shape, as gold waves graced top and bottom, nestling small pearls with them as well.  
  
"I thought it was lost when the castle vanished!" The younger man gaped—a shaky hand reached out to touch it – to be sure it was not an illusion.  
  
"It didn't, everything you had on stayed with you even when you returned to the shrine – I had simply relieved you off them while you were out. I did not think you would have need of them." The honey eyes darkened as the weapon changed hands. "I was gravely mistaken."  
  
"It's... weaker...." Soma murmured as he swung the large weapon to test if he was just victim to an exaggerated memory –but it was no mistake, the glow; the innate power within it had waned, but why?  
  
"Though the sword was holy, it seemed to have feed off the dark chaos of the castle, and purified it to it's own use – the greatest power of the Claimth Solaris was not the holiness of it, but it's ability to grow stronger when the profane waxes in power."  
  
"Makes sense – why have a weapon that can be overpowered?" A clockwise crescent slash cut through the air as he spoke, and then he sheathed the impressive weapon. "There's... something else about this sword, I don't know what it is...."  
  
"It was Vlad Tepes Dracul the second's sword when he was mortal." Genya Arikado responded as he walked back up the hill, pausing only to remotely lock the Lexus.  
  
A sword of knights, of princes... given to only those few of a highly trained and fanatically religious order, to fight against the infidels... The words reached Soma Cruz' ear, but he did not hear them, no... could not—he didn't need the words, the images that raced through his mind more then completed the history the dhampire spoke of.  
  
A cloak of hunter green, jewel-encrusted sword belts – signs of honor, the blood, the carnage – in the name of god, a brutal past that was almost as alien to him as the moons of Saturn – disturbingly familiar.  
  
No illusion, no transfer of thought, it wasn't imagination – He thought, as he clutched the holy sword almost fearfully, his breath quickened – he couldn't get enough of the chill night air in him, he panicked, his eyes dilated and grew wide with a numbing shock.  
  
Memory? Was it memories that he's seeing? Whose memories? His? Mine? Whose? What is going on? What's happening to me? What is happening to me?! His inner voice shouted, as he could no longer see the moon or the stars, only banners, arrows, rains of arrows, waves of men crashing onto men.  
  
His quickening of breath plunged into a desperate choke. Soma clawed for air and reality, even as many phantasms and scenes pounded, and tried to sear themselves into his brain.  
  
A brother... what brother – I don't have a brother, don't I? Or Do I? He stared into the green eyes of a youth, the auburn hair cropped short, a pampered prisoner from what the silk tunic and the dull frighten eyes had stated.  
  
Who... who are they, who am I? What... God help me, God help me! Someone please make it go away! He screamed in his head in a childish attempt to exorcise the images from his brain.  
  
Soft, warm arms wrapped around him – and broke him out of frantic thought. Did the world flip over? No, stupid, I fell. The albino laughed bitterly at himself, as he turned his head, to look at the one who held him.  
  
"Soma, Is something wrong?" An urgent fear crept into the normally calm voice of Dracula's son. He kept the smaller man close to him, and waited for Soma to be able to steady himself again – his keen ears heard the albino's heart thumping and throbbing like a snare drum, could smell the adrenaline rushing through the veins... the blood... He snapped his heads shut, cursing at himself for thinking like that.  
  
"I... it's just so... weird... I felt like I was losing control, that I wasn't myself!" The answer came in short bursts, his body instinctively gripped at the Dhampire harder – to afraid that his knees will give out from under him. Soma tried to recall what he had just seen... but nothing came. It was almost as if all of it was just fog burned away by morning sun, or smoke blow away by the wind – it existed, but existed no longer.  
  
As I feared... Alucard murmured in his mind as his own heart started to race – eyes opening in the horror of recognition. Not just a vessel that can absorb chaos without it consuming and destroying him – like Graham Jones was. God damned it! The Belmont was right after all! This... this boy really was him! How in the world... no, that was not important... Soma needed more help, needed help to keep from being overwhelmed by him.  
  
Eventually... slowly, the two broke the hold they had on each other, azure and gold eyes stared silently, no one knew what to do now.  
  
Benji bite back a sound that wasn't sure what it was going to be... He brushed it aside... of all his rotten, coyote-given luck! Well, if they were indeed that close... he shouldn't really try to move in. And really, if they saw him here, it was... he shook his head – he shouldn't have been trying to spy on them, Lord and Lady, he was stupid! The American bolted back for Mina's home, oddly silent in his run.  
  
Something else had watched, and observed the strange little scene. The almond-shaped eyes shined like black pearls, as a gentle, poisoned giggle escaped the soft, blood-hued lips. The observer strolled off, a silk fan brushed lightly over the face – and disappeared under the moonlight.  
  
An ink-black cat ran from the forest and leapt onto a waiting sidecar of a silver-blue Honda motorcycle, the feline's two tails flickered impatiently as the driver sped down the road and out of sight. 


	8. Commander and Servant

Finally, I got word up!  
  
Gakis are a vampire race I made up by blending some vampire-like spirits of various Asiatic mythos together.  
  
Anyone who can help me a bit with cultural aspects, or even monster suggestions, add it to your review, or e-mail me about it. Thank you. ***********************************************************************  
  
The two creatures eyed each other warily as they kneeled against the low cherry wood table; the solid black eyes met and competed against the cold amber.  
  
For a moment, the Nosferatu looked away to spy upon his surroundings – a narrow eight by eight room with traditional reed matting lain upon the floor, a silk screen depicting the change of reasons was obscuring the doorway out to the street. All around the bamboo and paper wall was draped with more silk – wall scrolls that complement the screen. It all looked delicate, and serene – as a teahouse should be.  
  
However, Tea was not the order of the day for the men.  
  
The other one – the Gaki, leaned forward, the sigh of his emerald- hued Kimo (a trendy hip-length modification of a Kimono) was audible to the Nosferatu's long, bat-like ears. The other man was lithe and long in frame, his almond-shaped eyes were of frozen amber – eyes that were tiger-like in life or perhaps even pure gold. The Japanese man's strong, narrow hands lightly touched the circular crossbar of his katana, as the tight ponytail of midnight locks tumbled down to the small of his back, with only a stray strand or two amiss from the arrangement. The Gaki looked upon him with the cool, detached boredom one would associate with a panther that eyed upon a fawn it had just orphaned.  
  
"Very well, Orlox Dietrich, if that is indeed your name, is there reason why you wish to have arranged this... meeting." The voice, liquid velvet, with purring inflections and layers of locks and secrets – spoke in German with a strong Japanese accent, and a small degree of irritation as those agile fingers clenched around a black cherry from the bowl that was in the middle of the table.  
  
"My Lord..." The Germanic vampire started as he bowed his head – no sense in offending the man, for he needed this Gaki for the scheme to work.  
  
"We just met, and yet you call me 'Lord' already? If you must know a name to call me by, I am Yoarashi Yamato – However, that matters little for the now, do go on." Yoarashi interrupted as he watched the foreigner with narrowed eyes, his colorless lips touched the small fruit, and started to bit into it with his feline-like set of fangs – the cherry stained his lips with the deep maroon and tart juice, but he could not deprive any pleasure or revulsion from it's flavor.  
  
"You are aware of the hollow vortex in the invisible world, are you not?" Orlox concealed a wicked smirk that had threatened to appear under his impossibly long, hook-like nose. Who knew that biochemical engineered Sarin was so effective in killing elementals? Well, too bad about the humans who were exposed to it as well. The Nosferatu cackled to himself at his clever little scheme.  
  
"Only the mortals are not aware of it, Dietrich, what of it then?"  
  
"I have been assure that with them gone, that if one has the ambition – no, desire, they can gain more power and more influence over the underworld." He whispered softly, the grin again appeared over his thin, pasty-hued lips.  
  
"Now I see your scheme – and may I ask, where do you see me at in this... little master plan of yours? A decoy to deflect your enemies' attention... or an underling perhaps?" The feline-like vampire questioned as he raised a delicate brow.  
  
"No..." Orlox bowed even deeper. "As a Master and Lord, Yamato." He lightly gazed up – to gauge the reaction.  
  
"If you really do wish me as your master – tell me what you will gain from relinquishing control to me, Nosferatu?" The disdain was clear in those glaciered amber eyes as he delicately took a small orange into his hands. "Even the dog wants something, as a servant would. What do you desire for me to give you in return for you to call me 'Lord'?" The long nails nicked, and started to peel the rough rind off the citrus fruit.  
  
A soft clattered of beads drew the men's attention away, as a tall, and doll-like beauty delicately stepped in the room, the nimble hands held the lacquer tray carefully as the dragon-etched tea set shook lightly with each almost dance-like step of the newcomer. Her black hair was pulled back into an unconventional french knot, and decorated with beaded pins, and delicate autumn flowers – her skin was as pale as the make-up the 'Maiko' – the dancers, tended to use, with deep violet eye shadow framing her chocolate-hued eyes. Orlox noted that her lips were soft, succulent, scarlet-colored and wantonly full – the sort that would drive any straight man into desire. The sky blue kimono – decked with delicate iris and butterfly motifs – did little to conceal the delicate, almost flower-like figure. The beauty set down the tea service, and poured the maroon, metallic-smelling liquid into their cups, as small strands of steam wafted away to the ceiling.  
  
"Ayame is beautiful, do you not agree, Dietrich?" The cunning smile appeared over the native's lips, as he gingerly stroke Ayame under the chin.  
  
Orlox swallowed, he was tempted to ask for the woman – something that most of previous masters (with the exception of the vampire king), was more inclined to grant.  
  
"Thank you for bringing us the necessary drink, older sister." He uttered the last two words in Japanese, as he quietly dismissed her with another string of their native language.  
  
The Germanic Vampire hissed at himself – business before pleasure, you are not here for women, no matter how beautiful they are, he scolded at himself for letting his eye wondered dangerously.  
  
"As I was going to say, Yamato, All we need to do to guarantee your place is to be rid of two obstacles." The large ears flicked, as the coal- black eyes gazed at the iced honey orbs.  
  
"And they would be--?" Yoarashi delicately sipped at the heated blood, and then lapped up the coppery-tasting fluid with a rough, agile tongue.  
  
"Two men, one of them is practically a boy." He tossed his nearly bald head in an attempt to appear regal – but only came off as a bit more then grotesque.  
  
"Names, and why do they matter?" The Japanese vampire pressed on, and sensed that perhaps this was what Orlox Dietrich desired.  
  
"Genya Arikado – a Half-vampire of no small ability, one who has turned against his father's race, he will stop at nothing to thwart any plan laid down by one of us."  
  
A light glimmered in Yoarashi's eyes at the mention of the name. Sounds like a man worthy of a challenge, he hoped as he laid his fingers upon the hilt of his katana.  
  
"And the other one?"  
  
"A young man, almost a boy, with a myriad dark powers that stirs in his blood. He is under the Half-vampire's tutelage, and his powers hasn't fully awaken yet – so he is vulnerable now, and we must have his blood draining down our throats before the half-vampire can awaken his power." Orlox Dietrich half-lied, as he leaned forward and tried to convey the inexperience the target had. "Or else all is lost."  
  
"I do not kill the weak if I had no need to drink." The expression was glacier-like, and sharp as the sword that rested upon his hip.  
  
"I don't want him dead! I want him in my hands, alive – to do as I see fit with him." The Nosferatu clarified – as he pushed the twisted, gleeful thoughts from his mind.  
  
"And what is this man's name?" The thing brow was arched in an expression of disbelief at the rat-faced vampire's brazen request.  
  
"I believe he's called Soma Cruz."  
  
"Perhaps we may have an alliance." The Gaki bowed his head as he kept his expression neutral.  
  
"You will not regret it, Master." 


	9. Black Chamber

Warning: Leather ahead and a bit more—graphic, I think perhaps it's high time to bump this up to an 'R'.   
  
The sign flickered in the chill night wind, as the dying half-moon drifted behind the swollen, angry clouds. The 'Evening Sun' glimmered and glowed as dancer flittered and hurried into the welcome warmth of the club – and fled from the heartless tempest that had threatened to brew.  
  
However, weather was the last thing on one man's mind.  
  
Soma leaned against the smudged counter as he stared into the chipped, greasy mirror as his slender fingers rolled the black lipstick. He paused and smiled almost wickedly to himself as he darkened his lower lip, leaving the upper one bare – if the albino was female, the term 'Jailbait' would have fitted his current appearance more then adequately. Then as a final touch, he snapped the leather collar closed around his neck – the silver dragon dangled and then rested against his collarbone. The pale one examined himself in the foggy mirror.  
  
Slender arms sheathed in black lace from wrist to elbow, drawing eyes to agile hands and firm shoulders – even as a thin, midnight-hued silk strap draped down the arm, declaring itself to be too large for the androgynous body. The spaghetti-strap shirt shifted and glistened as only soft pitch-ed silk can do. His snow-white hands smoothed down the invisible creases in the low-hung black leather pants that were pulled close to him by silver-studded black belts, noting with a pleased purr how it shined glossily in the dimmed restroom light, and how it flattered his toned stomach and leaned hips.  
  
The combat boots – laced with silver ponchos and pins moved over the linoleum floor without a sound as he brushed his shoulder-length, stark-white hair back, as the low throbbing of the dance floor music reverberated up his spine – sending strange, thrilling quivers through the slim body. Well, so what if his friends wouldn't recognize him in this? He chuckled as the strobe lights pulsated harshly in his eyes, and the thick artificial fog overcame his sense of direction, and effectively blinded him – for the moment.  
  
He sauntered to the ed lights of the dance floor – the pounding and pulsing of techno and house was not heard—but felt in the body as the actual music shrilled and mellowed, a mind-boggling rhythm that only sharpen the sense of surrealism and confusion that any first-time clubbers – and even the few seasoned ones could not shake off once they had went past the bouncer.  
  
Soma smiled as he found it shockingly easy to slip into the writhing mass of humanity – bustled and occasionally goosed as he made his way through to a good spot.  
  
It feels... so free, He thought to himself as his hip rocked in time to 'fire thing', the azure eyes closed to allow the other senses to wash over him. No murder, no chaos forces, no Dracula.... The near-albino smiled, and briefly lost contact with the floor as he hopped, and landed on foot – the other rested against his knee.  
  
Groping, gasping, writhing, twisting, crying, swaying, spinning, leaping, flailing, grasping, moaning, pressing, pulling, twining – the dancers pressed tighter together, suffocating him in flesh, sweat, cloth, and yet he couldn't say he was suffering under the pressure – even when some stranger somehow managed to press against him, and lifted up the shirt, the hard, calloused hands raced up the cut torso – man or woman? – His somewhat clouded mind wondered, and then asked if it really did matter.  
  
He allowed the stranger to have his—her? – Fun for the moment, then pushed himself away from the mystery groper before the stranger decided to take it as an invitation to get more intimate. It wasn't one of 'those' clubs – but there's at least one of 'those' everywhere.  
  
Soma hummed to himself as he slid from his current stance, and forced himself out of the tangle of limbs and bodies that made up the dance floor, as he giggled and panted from exhilaration that only came from completely loosing oneself. The azure eyes flicked over to the neon light-bedecked mirror and frosted glass bar as he slid his body onto the cracked seat – and ignored the soft squeak of leather against vinyl.  
  
The bartender – a burly man of dark wiry hair and a fat-lipped smile – lifted Soma's slender hand into his gigantic, bear-like paws, and pressed the palm of it against the LCD screen that shimmered on the glass surface of the counter.  
  
The pale man sighed in slight annoyance as lasers scanned the miniscule grooves and curve within the skin of his fingertips – reading up the age and name of this black-clad man.  
  
"That's odd – it doesn't seem to be working." The gravelly, and shocking soft voice grumped as he gently let go. "All I'm getting is a bunch of gibberish here." He pulled up a small laptop and started to punch the keyboard, the fat-lips formed an almost comical frown.  
  
"Perhaps it needed an upgrade." Soma whispered smoothly as he leaned his elbow onto the counter as the LCD screen faded out. He gently rubbed the jaw line of his own face with the slightly calloused, but still soft fingers. "Now... Mica," He glanced at the bartender's nametag briefly. "Surely you can see I'm old enough." He added in a half-lazy purr, a part of him quite shock at how easily this came to him.  
  
Arikado certainly wouldn't approve of me electrocuting the lasers – he giggled to himself as he waited for Mica to stop that startled stare that made him look even more bear-like then before. Ah well, it isn't as if anyone is going to see me – anyone that mattered, any ways. He pulled out a package of cloves, and slide out the black cigarette-like object (he never did like the taste and smell of the real thing from the one time he tried it) – and somehow managed to light it without a match; his agile hands had pantomimed a lighter to fool anyone who might have watched.  
  
"Though it's technically against the rule – but... I guess since this thing won't be working for the rest of the night, and well... the boss won't have to find out..." The burly barkeep shrugged as he put away the laptop. "What will you have?"  
  
"What do you recommend?" Soma leaned back slightly, as he felt stray hands brushing against his back. Azure eyes darted around, only to see no one close to him – though he could not shake off the husky, indiscernible whispers that echoed in his ear. Who were they? What the heck are they saying?  
  
Mica meticulously polished the tiny jigger clean, and carefully poured the shot of Whiskey. "You however seem to like spiced drinks, or sweet things – something smoother like Brandy or perhaps a specialty like Cosmopolitan. Or say, I got a spot of spiced rum that tastes quite best when warmed – hold on."  
  
It was rather amusing how this man seemed to type cast personas with drinks. The albino smirked as he tapped the clove into the ashtray and stiffened as again, someone decided that he was fair play.  
  
He nearly laughed at himself as he realized he kind of like the attention – or it could be that he's just a touch more relaxed since he was free of responsibilities as long as he stayed here.  
  
"Here you go – Bottoms up!"  
  
The pale hands clasped around the warm glass without thought – mouth wrapped on the lip of the shot glass. After the initial shock that goes through a non-drinker's system when the devilish alcohol caressed the unprepared taste bud, he had to admit it was rather nice and warm; the hint of nutmeg just tingled in a pleasant way.  
  
He winced as he paused in mid-sip, as his jaw started to tighten and throbbed. Groaning softly, Soma set down the jigger as he rubbed his chin, the sapphire eyes snapped closed as the pain sharpened, then intensified in his mouth.... What the hell? He looked down at the half-empty glass. No, it couldn't have been the drink – it felt more like he had something trying to push his incisors and canines out from above them.  
  
Soma tried (and failed miserably) to ignore the pain as he got up. Without a thought to it, he gulped down the remaining drink and sat it back down. The pain didn't flare up with the introduction of alcohol – which one would have expected in this situation... Soma felt his mouth had gone parched and unbelievably dry as the pain slowly subsided all on its own.  
  
"Soma?" The familiar alto beckoned; her soft voice barely audible above the music.  
  
The albino gasped as he had literally spun on his heels – to confirm what he had suspected.  
  
"Mina?" He looked over the slim form that stood before him. The thin arms were folded across the chest, as the Shinto Priestess' robes fluttered lightly in the slight draft that permeated through out the place. Her hazel eyes expressed shock as she took stock of how her childhood friend had dressed.  
  
"I'm surprise the bouncer let you in with that much clothes on." He joked as he eased himself back onto the stool.  
  
"Why are you in... in this place?" She gestured broadly; her ribbon- tied copper hair fluttered about and framed that pretty doll-like face. It was almost as if she reverted back to how she appeared three years ago when...  
  
Soma shook his head clear of that rather unpleasant memory as he unconsciously gestured for Mica to refill his drink.  
  
"Look, I just to spend one night without worrying about anything. Is that a crime now?" The young man rolled his eyes as he turned his back to her.  
  
"We're worried, you ran off without telling us where you were going!" She screeched, numbed by the cold, off-handed remark.  
  
"Just leave me, Mina. I don't want to talk, and I don't want to go back, let me think here." He mumbled through clenched hands as he avoided her eyes.  
  
"And get drunk? Get assaulted by these weirdoes? I don't think so!" She bristled, but carefully recomposed herself. "I understand that you're—"  
  
"You don't understand! You could never understand what's happening to me!" He hissed – the sound was disturbingly dry and harsh to their ears. "Mina, just go! You don't need to worry, and don't you even dare think about sending Arikado here to drag me back!"  
  
Her lips moved – but no words could form on her rose-soft lips, for she was far too startled (not to mention frightened) by her friend's uncharacteristic outburst. The albino watched her to step away while she still faced him, and then vanished into the dark crowd.  
  
Soma peered up into the open rafter as he thought that the lights had started to dim. They weren't just dimming; in fact, several of the flashing strobe light were either being turned completely off or dimmed to a point where they might as well be off – with now only the chemical-glow jewelry of some dancers and the faint, short-range flickered of lights gave some luminance to the nearly pitch-black club.  
  
The music started to change as well, the heavy bass and heartthrob- like drums started to overcome the higher-pitched scritches and synthesizers that had once dominated the atmosphere. It was moodier, harsher then what was playing before, and to the bacchae-like dancers – it was an invitation to get to know each other just a little bit better.  
  
It was probably the rum that spoke those wicked little ideals into his head, but he felt that perhaps he belong on the floor over there. As he slide from his seat with the grace of a panther, his agile hands left a wad of uncounted yen upon the counter, the azure eyes raked over the room, and made contact with each nubile vixen, every doe-eye youth that smiled rakishly at him, and even noted some of the older gentlemen – who were no less inviting.  
  
It must be the alcohol, Soma lightly chided himself as he pressed and pulled himself through the throng of impromptu couples that shamelessly grinded each other and singles that clung to anything that moved. Soma grinned, and pushed away one and all, each not meeting to his taste.  
  
The pale hand rubbed his throat as he blanched – his tongue felt like sandpaper and his throat constricted almost painfully from the want of liquid. The alcohol could not be doing it – and the rum didn't help to quench it – and he rather not drink the water that would have come out of the tap in this dive.  
  
It was just then the strange older man met and held his gaze from across the writhing mass of people, those piercing eyes that were framed by the black-half mask seemed to scream for him to sit down besides him.  
  
The painful thirst flared up as the sapphire-eyed man glided closer to the masked one, some how unable to turn down the unspoken summons.  
  
"Well, what do we have here; a new blood to this establishment?" The rich, regal, velvet bass purred into his ear and commanded attention as only a king could demand.  
  
The large and powerful pale hand lifted up Soma's chin with the lightest of effort, the soul-rending orb dominated the teen's vision – and yet, he could not recall the of the eyes when he stopped to give thought upon it. Nor could he give the of the man's hair, and couldn't even give an estimate as to the age of this period-dressed stranger.  
  
"Welcome to the Night." The voice was strangely cold, and distant, even though the man's hand still held his head up, and the stranger still leaned closer.  
  
A kiss? The thought flickered through Soma's mind as his throat contracted and tightened painfully – his tongue flick over his lips, to try to moisten them – somehow unaware of how this would appear to others. I'm going to die of thirst! He nearly laughed to himself as he tried harder and harder to wet his lips.  
  
A goblet was pressed up against his mouth and snapped him back to where he was. The pale-haired stranger smiled sardonically as he held the drink to Soma's lips.  
  
"This will quench your thirst, young one." The deep-chest man chuckled, the liquidity dark voice coaxed. "You will never thirst with this."  
  
Without thinking, and without really hearing the man, Soma haphazardly guzzled the content, the thick liquid slid so easily down his throat.  
  
It was sharp, and pungent, with an almost-bitter metallic edge – and it was ambrosia, sweetly divine ambrosia that cooled the burning want that welled up in his mouth. Soma groaned softly as it slowly dawned on him that goblet should have been drained by this time and yet, the bittersweet concoction continued to flow into his waiting lips.  
  
The masked one slid the clawed – yes, clawed – hands against the smooth, satin-like skin, the left hand glided down to the waist band of his pants, while the right one rested on his chest – rubbing silk against skin. The albino went to pull away, to set the glass down, this was too much – too fast – didn't even know his name.  
  
The grip was unbreakable; he had might as well tried to pry open the jaws of a behemoth. The intruder just tugged on the dragon charm mockingly – sharp teeth and rough tongue ghosted against the creamy flesh.  
  
"Relax, little one, I am just welcoming you." The kingly voice ghosted over the nape of his neck as sharp pinpricks elicited at pained yelp from the crystalline-eyed man, the maroon liquid seeped down his chin – and he consciously lapped it up even as he strained away from the pain that seared down the fragile skin of his neck.  
  
And all things started to glow with a soft pink haze, then grew redder, and redder, and then darkened to maroon as he felt the cold lips on his throat turn unbearably warm. Finally, he saw nothing but black as the chalice tumbled from his cold hands.  
  
"No!" He screamed as he jolted up in the bed, as he looked about the area. The walls were a soft robin egg's blue, and the sheer curtains fluttered ghost-like in the room from the cool morning breeze that blew into the bedroom.  
  
A dream? Soma questioned as he gingerly reached for his throat – no sores, no marks... it... it was a dream! No, a nightmare... he corrected himself as he rolled away from the haze of pre-dawn light.  
  
The lithe young man laid still, his harsh, frantic breath eventually mellowed, the heart had seemed to threaten to rip itself free from it's confines – but, he was alive, he was safe, no changes, still human, still himself, still not getting enough sleep... he groaned to himself as he felt his shorts chafed against his body.  
  
I should not be responding like that, I should not... damn it! He hissed inaudibly to himself, and looked over to the LCD screen of the alarm clock. 3:45... better then last time, but still too early! The albino groaned as he eventually and literally rolled himself out of the soft down comforter; falling to all fours on the floor – and stared at the discarded collar that lay on the floor.  
  
A cat leapt away from the window, and disappeared into inky blackness of the night, the frozen amber eyes glowed like pea-sized fireflies. 


	10. Earth Angel

Note: I actually had fun writing this chapter. Oh, does anyone know a good free web service that's easy to use and good for posting text things and pictures?

  
  
Miyu was a pretty child, always laughing and smiling at everyone around her, always curtseying to adults, and never far from the hem of her mother's dress. She was still young enough to love her parents unquestioningly, too young to know that not all people are nice on the inside. Miyu was indeed a pretty girl, with her dark hair pulled up into pigtails, and two puppy-like chocolate eyes set above a button nose and small smiling lips. Miyu was a sheltered girl, and knew no evil.  
  
It was a pity that she was wrong; it's a pity that she was pretty. Orlox brushed her locks from her face and throat, as he looked down at her drugged-sleep expression. The Nosferatu step back from the stone slab, being sure the knots that force the girl spread-eagle were secure.  
  
His 'master' would not approve of this, but he knew better, without such... sacrifices, the slaying of his old master would not be possible. The German Aristocrat's narrow, pasty lips pulled away into a crooked, sinister smile that would do a movie villain proud.  
  
At least his younger sister did see the need of it, Orlox glanced back at the tiny, white-haired young woman that watched the mockery of an alter that was before them; her crimson eyes gleaming with malicious mischief as her white yukata fluttered in the draft that invaded the empty masonry warehouse.  
  
"Are you sure you need only one girl?" Yuri spoke in German; her honey-like alto was thickly accent with her native Japanese dialect, as she flicked a bang back into place. Lord only knows how she loves her older brother, but sometimes his honor can be an unbearable source of hindrance.  
  
"Another will look like overcompensation." He replied coolly, as his wide, pointed ears flickered to catch any sound that may come their way. Then, Orlox dipped a horsehair brush into a small vat of red liquid, and lapping up the extra, he started to trace symbols onto the sunflower dress.  
  
It's quite a pity that Miyu's brother had tried to stop them, though it was quite sweet of him to 'donate' the paint for this ceremony.  
  
Upon finishing, the Count again stepped away from the unconscious child, his lips forming into terrible words that hung thick and heavy in the draft-ridden air, with Yuri positioned.  
  
"Azrael, I invoke thy name, Suriel, I invoke thy other name, come forth upon mortal plane! I command thee by the name of the Trinity; I summon thee, Seraphim of God, Wings of Death. Death, descend from the star-crusted vaults, take this innocent as bond and as payment to bind thyself under my beck and call, in the name of your lord!" The vampire cried out with arms raised to the sky, his booming tenor echoed and reverberated around him. "Wings of death fly to the earth upon the rending of innocent blood!"  
  
Yuri's claws tore through the child's throat, blood coursed and spluttered like the great falls, the girl could not do as much as scream as life fled from her tiny, wounded body.  
  
The two waited in silence, and noted a thick crackle in the air, everything around them, and even they themselves felt sticky and needle- like, every touch they made let off loud blue sparks into the darkening air. Yuri cried softly as the deep rumbling of a tumbling wheel of iron and wood roared louder and louder, silencing all within.  
  
Then it stopped; a pale blue light hovered over the corpse. Orlox grinned and Yuri gasped as great glossy wings of crow-hue unfurled from the growing light, and stretched themselves to a full length of forty feet, from tip to tip. A soft gentle hum fell from the form, as the light took upon a resemblance of human form.  
  
"Is this... your god of death...?" The woman murmured as her blood-hued eyes widened in shock, as great rods of bone burst through the spine of the creature, and unraveled into a form not unlike a pair of deformed hands, or the skeletal wings of a great bat.  
  
Pale white hair, streaked with the iron gray of age and silver of ancient wisdom fell over the prostrated angel's face; the blackest black orbs peered through the simmering veil, the dark wings held aloft, and the wings of bones were stretched outwards to their limits. The scythe of bone, bronze and electrum lay against the thigh, held by velvet-clad hands that peeked from a billowing, slick shadey material that clung to the creature from neck to feet, without wrinkle, sag, or bulge. The angel glowed with it's own inner light of silver; from feather, flesh, hair and even cloth, even without knowing the face, the sight was terrible as it was great.  
  
"Azrael, Death." The Nosferatu addressed the spell-bound angel. "I have to admit I did not expect to see you in a form other then the avatar of the Reaper." He murmured darkly as he tried to gaze upon the hidden face.  
  
"You should know like all deaths that I too can appear in different shapes and guises, Orlox Dietrich." The seraphim spoke with a chilling, song-like baritone as it rose up to its full height of seven feet, the impossibly long hair fell back, exposing the face to the vampiric creatures.  
  
There is nothing so terrible or as horrible as a beautiful face that had been ravaged by time, sorrow, and apathy; far more frightening then a face that was born hideous. The ashen lids with their long pale lashes were slightly swollen and the high-boned cheeks creased by tears that never flowed, fine lines of time had etched themselves around the soulless eyes and the soft, full rogue lips that were cracked and dry for reasons unknown, the tapered chin and romanesque nose seemed untouched by the haggard disfiguration created by a sadness that was not the angel's own. Though the form was masculine, the face – if restored to its original beauty, it would have been of such a glorious femininity that would shame even the legendary Helen of Troy.  
  
Yuri finally snapped out of the daze she was under. If only Yoarashi realized how power and what glory this... this hideous foreigner had brought tonight... she smiled with painted scarlet lips. Yes, she'll tell her brother how she helped further the family's power, and then he'll realize what a fool he was for loving that bitch Ayame instead of her! The maniacal gleam of jealousy and inner-rage was quite evident in her red eyes.  
  
"Why for did you summon me in the same manner as a demon?" The cool voice flared with a righteous temper that sounded far too large to have originated from the boney frame.  
  
"It is a binding you had subjected yourself in before, Death, I suggest you do not protest it to me!" Orlox growled as he waved his hand dismissively. "You have a task that I will set out for you, finish it and I shall release you from servitude."  
  
"You are not Lord Dracula, Orlox Dietrich, my bind to him is much greater then this, and of an arrangement befitting of myself...!" The wings of death flapped and shut closed in agitation. "To summon me like a common evil... disgusting, but you seemed to know the seals well." The angel forced itself to bow. "What is the task?"  
  
"You know of the foolish boy that 'your master's' soul lies sleeping in?" The arrogant grin was unmistakable, as was the sneer in his voice.  
  
Yuri spun on her heels, and glared darkly at the hideous Nosferatu. He never told her brother that the boy was someone powerful! The lying little... she growled to herself, as her claws lengthened and her pupils narrowed into slits.  
  
"Dracula is not my master, he is an associate by seal and contract! The only one I will call Master is YVH! Make no mistake on that, Nosferatu!" Death's feathers were literally ruffled as the pallid face grew flush with rage.  
  
Speaking over the outburst as if he couldn't hear it, Orlox continued on. "Soma Cruz, I believe that is his name, I am sure you know of him – after having the avatar of the Reaper falling in a battle against a sixteen year old mortal brat." He let the words sink in, to sting the pride of heavenly creature. "I am certain you will want to show him how pricey the tuition is for a deathly education."  
  
"I am an impartial creature, many will call on me for vengeance, but I myself am incapable of such thought." The face remained impassive like the skull that topped the vicious scythe.  
  
"If Angels can not indulge in self-serving thoughts, then explain how did Luci—"  
  
"You will not speak of that name!" Azrael snarled, revealing rows of sharp fangs as the anorexic-thin body sputtered and shook in rage. Yuri leapt back, fearing a retaliation for this strange offense. "You are treading on a perilous road, Vampire!" And as quickly as the came, it vaporized like morning mist, as if it had never happened. "As I said, I never fancy the ideal of revenge, even when I became the wings of death. Though he is now another, the boy is still the Vampire King, and my binding still hold true – I cannot and I shall not take his life."  
  
"I did not ask for his death, I will kill him myself!" The Germanic Count hissed in anger – though truthfully, he knew he had gone too far, did not realize how sensitive these creatures were about the betrayal of one of their own, too ashamed of their ability to think of unclean things. "It is his companions – and I sure he has many close to his heart."  
  
The angel frowned somewhat, yes it was possible, but why this course of action?  
  
"Watch them, watch to see if they are a threat." He gestured lightly, as he peered out at the barred window to the heavens. "Another thing, as to make myself more favorable to the Gaki Shogun Yoarashi Yamato – I wish for you to destroy all vampires in Japan that are not align with either myself, or him."  
  
The opinion that Death had of Orlox has risen a bit. The wings of death pondered over the command, the soulless eyes slipped close, as it visualize exactly what would occur if Azrael did go through with this.  
  
"Very well, Orlox Dietrich, I shall do as commanded – how quickly shall the depopulation of vampires occur?"  
  
"As quickly as possible without arousing too much suspicion." He murmured.  
  
With that, the Angel bowed out view and into the night.  
  
"You never told us that 'weak boy' housed a powerful soul!" The woman hissed and spat at the bat-like man, as twin white tails started to spurt and glide out from under her robe.  
  
"I apologize for leaving that little detail—"  
  
"Little detail?!" She cut him off with a jerk of her hand. "You better know what the hell you gotten us into, you idiotic foreigner!" The tails lashed despite the yukata had restricted their movement considerably.  
  
"Calm yourself, Miss Yamato." Orlox raised his long, bony hands in a gesture of peace. "As we speak, the soul in him lies dormant and unaware of us, leaving the weaker boy unguarded. Though Azrael will not kill him for us, he can and will eliminate the guardians." His deep voice spoke confidently, assuredly.  
  
Yuri tossed her head as she turned away with her arms folded over her slender chest; the tails started to melt back into her body, wiggling and twitching under the yukata along the way.  
  
"It is nearly dawn; it is time for us to return to the shelter." Yuri stated in an expressionless voice, irritated by how she wasted her hours here. At least something was gained, she sighed to herself.  
  
"Ah yes, it is, isn't?" Orlox ran a hand over his nearly baldhead. "I sometimes do forget that August is still the eve of summer."  
  
Yuri nearly snorted as the Nosferatu dissolved into a colony of bats, fluttering and flying everywhere in the warehouse – until the vampire's mind directed them out of the broken window.  
  
An idiot, a useful idiot, but an idiot nonetheless, she told herself as she slipped out into the darkness, the graceful form melding into a feline shape.  
  
Perhaps I can at least catch part of him. She purred darkly as she brushed a pale paw over her wedge-shaped ears.


	11. Ping Me

"The Current Time is Six Forty-Five, It is time to wake up – Five Minutes to Bell, Five Minutes to Bell." A metallic female blared out of the Boise Vocalarm. A broad, bronzed reached out, once, twice, and then landed on the ribbed beige plastic, each finger wiggled and squirmed to find something that was oval, or round – raised plastic that would give under their weight, and he found none.  
  
THUD! The machine clattered on the floor, the red digits still gleamed steadily. Benji ignored this as he rolled over, a pillowed clamped firmly on the back of his head. For a Priest's daughter, that Mina knows how to pull up a drinking game. Come to think of it – a dash of Sake and a dash of Kang Amber Draft was a match made in the most wretched, bottom rungs of hell. Acrid bile rose up and caught in his throat, a threat that was deemed worthy to venture into the horrid sunlight.  
  
"Spirits no... I swear I will not agree to anything that lady suggests ever again!" He rolled out of bed, and landed on all fours. Clint Eastwood Drinking game – who knew that there was so much drinking in the movies?!  
  
"Benji, Are you ready to eat yet?" The far-too cheerful alto chirped as the 'cursed lady' poked her head in.  
  
"Eat? You insane?! I think I better start my religious duties before I can even look at food...." The redhead man staggered up to his feet, the brown-hazel squinted most wretchedly in a fool's attempt to defuse the hot morning sun.  
  
"What? Praying?" Mina questioned as she sipped from her mug, seemingly unaffected by the events of last night, though she seemed – oddly worried.  
  
"Yea, to the merciful porcelain goddess." He pulled on a ripped shirt – and noted wryly that his sweatpants were soaked with perspiration. "Hot night was it?" He wobbled to the doorway, and prayed for the room to stop turning about like a top.  
  
"Yea – I had to really turn up the AC." The woman faintly shivered as she moved out of the way. "Oh – yea.... Arikado left, so did Soma."  
  
It was greeted by silence... then a pause, followed by a bleary-eyed look of confusion. "What?"  
  
"Yea – they were gone when I woke up."  
  
"No notes, no messages on the Photophone, no pings?"  
  
"None." Mina shuffled her feet as she shrugged. "Soma will pinged us – I know he will." The Navajo man had a suspicion that she sounded more confident then she actually was.  
  
"Did they take their stuff?" Benji continued his trot to the bathroom.  
  
"Yea – it looked like the guest beds weren't slept in." She headed off into the den to check the Photophone, and the Net-Buddy once more.  
  
"Fuck!" The short male kneeled, hands clutching the rim of the bowl. What are they up to?! Don't they know people are out to get them?  
  
The copper-hair woman rested her chin on her hand as she stared at the blank Ping box, and the Tachi list that only had the OL-Alias of her female friends; no matter where she fished, or googled, but there was no sign of StrwayHvn, BlancKght, or SulDamire.... Though she didn't really expect him to be diving the net this early in the day, or that Arikado would allow him to use the Net-buddy, or Arikado's more expensive but silly looking Spect-Diver (which looked suspiciously like a transparent blue horse-blinders) while they were traveling.  
  
"Minvera." Mina sighed into the com-speaker as the ICS-tracker mascot hopped onto the screen, the large eyes blinking. "Please alert me if Blanc- Knight, Stairway-Heaven, or SulDamire pings me, or enter on the Tachi system." She spoke out the full words of Soma's OL-Alias as she drummed her fingers on the roll-top desk.  
  
The pixilated caricature of an owl turned its head once, twice, three times, and clicked its beak. "Will do, Lady-Falcon." And it fluttered onto a branch that dangled above the e-text of the Mainachi News. Then it blinked once again. "Do you want me to read this page for you?"  
  
"No."  
  
A loud beep startled the woman from her browsing as she quickly searched the Ping-box, but found nothing, and then looked to the Digital- Minvera who had gone to a pose of sleep (though actually just waiting). "Huh? Then what--?"  
  
Another beep – it wasn't from her Desk-topper; Then it must be a net- buddy, she surmised as she got up to search for the said item.  
  
"Let me get it, it's probably mine." The Baritone was considerably more upbeat then it was a half-hour ago. Benji fished a vaguely Y-shape object from the pack, and slipped it's nylon band over his wrist, and with a flick of his hands, he pulled the flap up, and started to unfold it into six screens of four inches until all six panels were up and open. "I really want a Spec-Dive!" He whined as he peered at a cheetah that was divided into two segments.  
  
"What do you want me to do then?" Mina kneeled next to the young man, and peered at the envelope in the Cheetah's mouth. "Everyone knows that only the Celebs and Fortunate 500 Execs can afford them. So who's the ping from?"  
  
"New E-Mail, From Blanc-Knight. Do you accept it?" The speech bubble appeared over the animal.  
  
"That's Soma's OL-Alias, open it!" The woman urged him, her stormy eyes flashing.  
  
"Okay, okay – Mercury, what kind of Ping is it?" Benji muttered as he typed out the question.  
  
"It is a Text Ping, Do you want me to open it?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
Mercury paws it open, and threw a 'paper' at the screen, which then unfolded as the text flashed on and remained there.  
  
Mina, Benji,  
I'm with Arikado right now, don't worry, we're fine, it's just  
Arikado gotten word that the police are coming to the Shrine in about  
three hours, and well, you can see why we left when we did. I don't  
know when we'll be back... if we ever will get back. I had managed to  
talk Arikado into letting me Ping Benji's Net-buddy, since that really,  
pinging Mina's Desk-topper was too risky. Well, I'll try to ping you  
guys as often as I can for the next while, However, if I didn't ping  
for a week – fear for the worst, and please get a hold of Yoko or  
Julius if Arikado hasn't already.  
  
Mina, I'm having those problems again – with my sleep, is this a sign  
that things will get worse?  
  
--Soma,  
  
--The Knights of Psychological Warfare, Visit our page at   
  
"What Problems?" Benji looked over to Mina as he deleted the e-mail. "And who's Yoko and Julius?"  
  
"Well... he sleepwalks, mostly if things are stressful, he hasn't done it since High School Exams! He was doing it again last night, dressing and undressing into some weird clothes, and muttering about being thirsty... And since when did he own a pair of leather pants?" She lifted her brows in an expression of disbelief as she neatly rose to her feet.  
  
"But don't they have pills, or nanos to correct the problem?" The watery eyes peered upwards as he tilted his body back. "I mean it isn't like the 1900s."  
  
"Yea – but for some reason, Soma's problems defy those pills; he had once taken four kinds at once at twice the recommended dosage each and still sleepwalking... and well, do you really want tiny protein machines in your brain?"  
  
"Point taken." He yawned, and rolled over to his hands and knees as he arched his back. "Say, say the problem isn't natural? I mean, hell, with all our science, we still don't understand stuff, maybe there's another problem, I dunno – like someone hexing him, or something?"  
  
She froze in mid-step... why didn't she think of that?  
  
"Say... wait a minute, you were watching Soma changing his clothes when he's sleeping?! That's not nice!"  
  
"It's rather hard to ignore some doing that! And I doubt you would have the niceties to look away either." She laid a finger on his nose, and then sauntered off into the kitchen.  
  
"Well..." The redhead paused to think over what was said – then his eyes widened as it dawned on him what she was implying. "Wait – you knew?!"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Since when?!" Benji scrambled to his feet, and bolted after her.  
  
"Since you came here, you're too easy to read." Mina giggled as the bronze temples somehow managed to give a rogue tint to them.  
  
"And you know your teasing me so we won't be worrying ourselves silly over Soma." Benji folded his arms across his chest as he tapped a bare foot on the tiled floor.  
  
"Right." She murmured and moaned softly.  
  
"And it won't work for long." He sighed in unison. "Any ideals?"  
  
"Just one...." Mina Hakuba paused for a moment.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The James Bond Drinking Game-Athon." The pretty wild-rose lips curved into an evil smile.  
  
"You are pure evil, and you are soooo going to make me regret agreeing to this."

---------------

since it's about 30 years in the future, new tech, and new slang will be more likely. What you think of the OL-Alias?


	12. trust me

Sorry, long time no write. School, mod projects, etc is occupying my time.

---

Soma leaned back in the plush seat; half-lidded eyes glanced silently at the soft glow of the dashboard, and then to the equally quiet driver of the Lexus. Too quiet, it was maddening, the Albino sighed without sound – though this silence was inane, there was a slight trepidation, an unspoken fear to shatter the soundless air. Yes... Arikado has always been the quiet one, but – something is eating away at him, he could sense it, but what? What had happened under the moonlight that caused Arikado to break his aloofness, to catch him when he fell?

"... Do you trust the Yenaldlooshi?" the Ravenette uncharacteristically was the one who dared to pierce the quiet. His honeyed eyes for a glance veered from the road to the pale crystalline orbs.

"The Ye—what? Who are you talking about, Arikado?" Soma blinked as he glanced through the tinted window, pointedly avoiding the Dhampire's gaze. He unconsciously rubbed his bare arm, even though the interior of the sports car was quite comfortably warm. The young man felt... guilty about leaving his friends without warning, and could only hope that the precinct did not arrest the two redheads for hiding him.

"Yenaldlooshi." Arikado slowly pronounced it once again, as much for his benefit as for Soma's – the language of the word's origin was not a common one, especially in this era. A second glance showed the complete ignorance on Soma Cruz' face. The Dhampire hesitated for a split-moment; did he really need to set the young man's already frazzled nerves on edge so soon? No, Alucard told himself silently -- a lie though one of the worst of sins according to Alighieri -- was perhaps the kindest of them all. "A Shaman of native powers."

"You mean Benji? I already told you he gave me no reason to suspect him – he helped me, and well, he's... too big-mouthed to be any good as a backstabber." Soma rolled his eyes as his pale fingertips ran through his hair. "If you meant Shaman, you could've said it in the first place, not some nobody-has-ever-heard-of-word." The piercing blue eyes again looked beyond the darkened windows. "I already know he does that kind of stuff, he told me."

The older man thought it was best he did not bring up Graham Jones. The impossibly deft hands flicked on the radio, and clicked upon a pre-programmed station. "About your sleepwalking...?" The alabaster-faced man questioned as he stopped at a red light.

"What about it?" Soma growled faintly as his eyes followed a young couple with a toddler strolling down the street, unaware of being watched. Lucky kid... the albino murmured to himself, as he pushed down a rather unwanted memory.

"What happens when you do sleep walk?" The soft voice carried over the muffled sound of news reporters squawking about the latest celebrity annulment.

"All kinds of things..." The albino shrugged. "During the week of Exam Hell, Keamon and Jomei claimed that I was climbing up to the roof, and nearly jumping off the balcony. My parents had me go to a doctor, but nothing helps. And before I went to Japan, Uncle Fran said that I was trying to ride Blanco during the middle of the night." He closed his eyes, showing clear annoyance.

"Keamon and Jomei?" The gold-eyed male prodded lightly, making a note to himself to make sure Soma is never sleeping any place above the first floor.

"My 'host' siblings, they're twins, one of them is in Medical school, the other had dropped out to be a musician." He added without thinking. "They talked Mom and Dad into helping me register for a permanent resident license, telling them how miserable I'll be if I return to Barcelona. Though I do miss Uncle Fran and his horses, I think it's better this way."

Alucard quietly noted this small fact away. "Anything else? Such as any dreams –this could be important."

"I don't remember much of them." Soma shook his head. "Though I do know most of it has been more like nightmares." Then he snapped his finger. "Wait... I do remember last night's, most of it, it was really dark... and I was drinking some sort of red concot—"The words froze in his throat as his mind was finally aware of the significance. "Christ... Arikado! It was blood... I was dreaming that I was drinking blood!"

SCRRRRRReeeeeaaaah!

The screech of brakes ruptured their eardrums as Arikado nearly ran the next red light.

"Where did you learn to drive?!" Soma swore violently in three languages, his hand instinctively slammed the window as he flung forward – only to be yanked back by the double-thick seatbelt; effectively bruising his shoulder.

"... Sorry." The Dhampire responded with a hollow voice. "Are you sure it was blood?"

"Yes... There was a man as well... I didn't see his face." Soma whispered hoarsely. "He was powerful, that's all I could remember." Again the cab of the Lexus became silent, save for the droning of the radio. Soma turned away, his breath oddly short, as he wished he had completely forgotten his dream.

"This is just in. Not more then ten minutes ago, Camui Gackt used to have nothing else to worry about then rumors of cosmetic surgery, but now it seems like someone has a vendetta against the Solo artist and the former Malice Mizer Lead as stage lights nearly landed on him and his current band during a performance today. Security and Police at the scene had already ruled out equipment malfunction and now suspects' foul play. Details at Six." The far too cheerful Osaka-accented anchorman hurriedly ran through the report.

Soma nearly cringed at the mention of Gackt – gods! He can't count how many times girls had accosted him, believing he was the singer's bastard child.

"Akira, do you think there is a serial lunatic that's causing the accidents? I mean, this is the sixth freak accident in three days!" A teeny-voiced woman questioned, a faint hint of panic laid under her normally professional tone.

"Well it can't be a coincidence that's for sure, Yuri." At this, Dhampire and Human glanced to each other simultaneously.

"They got that right." Soma Cruz shrugged half-heartedly as he muttered. "This is officially weird."

"I doubt they confused him for you." Arikado deadpanned as he turned to the left. "Though the series of 'freak accidents' is anything but that."

"Who died and made you Bob Hope? And what does it have to do with me?" the glacier-eyed man mumbled.

"Probably nothing at all, or perhaps part of someone's elaborate scheme. We can't just ignore it, but neither we should get involved." Alucard/Arikado gazed into the rearview mirror. "We're being followed."

"By who?" Soma exclaimed as his eyes darted to the rearview mirror. A silver Kawasaki weaved through the traffic almost haphazardly, the woman – he was pretty sure it was a woman, anyways – seemed to be almost single-minded in her motion. "Can we lose her?"

Without a word, the Dhampire made a sharp turn as the light turned green. The motorcyclist mimicked him, determined not to loose its quarry.


	13. Mordred's Song

Ow. I don't think I like my Julius characterization.

---

"Mina?" The gruff voice called out as the doorbell was rang in an impatient, harried fashion.

"Coming, Coming!" The redhead woman called out as she rushed to the door, as Benji hurriedly locked up the liquor cabinet, and downed a shot of bourbon. It was fortunate that the caller had caught them at the start, or else who knows what they've said in the drunken state.

"Mr. Belmont!" Mina exclaimed – obviously surprised to see the tall, middle-aged brunette at the door. "Please, come this way, Soma said we should've been expecting you."

"So he did." Julius murred, unconsciously stroked his goatee as he gently pushed away her efforts to relieve him of the worn, leather-trimmed trench coat. "I'm fine, Now would someone please tell me the exact nature of what's going on?" The gray-hazel eyes crinkled with the odd blend of amusement and agitation.

"Mina, is it safe?" An uncertain baritone called out as the sound of things being put away and things put into place reached the vampire hunter's ears. Immediately a concerned – no, paranoid frown creased along the older man's lips as he glanced toward the now rather sheepish young lady.

"Who is that?" He whispered low and inquisitively, his fingers unconsciously brushing against one of the many little vials and weapons concealed under his heavy coat.

"Uh, that's one of Soma's friends… he helped him get as far as here." She shuffled her feet, almost flinching from that studious, almost disappointed glare.

"How much does he know?" Julius whispered again.

"Not a lot, I'm certain." She grabbed him by a thick, almost knotty wrist and drug him into the den, where the long-limbed, but yet stocky half-Indian was settling on the couch, his brownish eyes looked up cautiously.

"Uh… Hello?" Benji swallowed, this man… powerful despite his age (Then again, in this era, Sixty is the new Thirty, he reminded himself), with sleek muscles coiled under sun-battered and undoubtedly scar-laced flesh. But it wasn't that made his throat dry, it was a completely different feeling then he had with either the Arikado guy Soma left with, or Soma himself… he felt… terrified, to be frankly honest. It was the way the man walk with the slow ease of a Siberian Grizzly, the feeling of some force… something almost ungodly behind every cautious glance, every twitch of the hand. Of course, Arikado did scare him with the Ice Princely aloofness, and his panther-like sleekness, but somehow… the younger man had a feeling that perhaps this human is perhaps more dangerous to him.

"What is your name?" The voice was deceptively calm, only the keenest of hearing can sense the edge to the words. Interrogation without interrogating.

"Benji Tsukiyobi." He rested his hands in his lap, looking up as his shoulders hunched together, it was bad enough he was much younger then this man, but he was almost eight inches shorter (with Julius being an almost incredible six foot four inches), it didn't help soothe his feeling of unease. "And… you?" He knew that if he had more 'cupped' ears, they would've been laying back against his head just about… now.

Mina cut in, sensing both the Belmont's concern, and the young man's alarm. "Julius Belmont, he helped Soma a few days ago, do you want some coffee, or tea?" She almost cooed, throwing both men off-balance. This wasn't the naïve young girl that Julius has gotten to know in the true castle, she seemed more… devious now. "Is Yoko with you, or did you came alone?" She smiled, trying to create nice conversation.

"I'd rather have a shot of whiskey, but coffee will do." He slid into the old, overstuffed chair that the Dhampire had occupied a few days earlier. "I actually did came alone, Yoko got tied up in Papal Bureaucracy." He rested his strong jaw on his dominant hand; the other tapped restlessly on the wooden armrest, looking everywhere and nowhere at once, as though he was focus upon something no human eye could ever detect unaided.

Papal? As in… the pope? The smaller man thought as he unconsciously glanced around the Belmont's neck, no white collar, but it doesn't mean anything… does it? He watched warily as Miss Hakuba left the room to take a carafe of coffee from the kitchen.

"How did you know Soma?" The voice; low and ominous had an almost guttural quality – Batman, eat your heart out, The American laughed nervously in his head.

"Cross? Ah—"

"Cross?" Julius had to quirked a brow, well, 'Cruz' did mean as much, but it's not something one picked up often. And it was quite amusing… almost ironic that the vessel of Dracula's dark powers had such a 'holy' surname.

"Err… I kind of mispronounced his name when I first met him, and it kind of stuck." Weak laughter emanated as he rubbed the back of his neck, then it was cut off abruptly, seeing that the stranger did not seem to find it all that funny. "College – same dorm hall, we hang out a few times." He shrugged, as Mina returned with three mugs, and the carafe. "Uh…" He shifted in his seat. "Something really weird had happened, there are these jerks – Rugby players, they're always after us non-sporting types, as if it's high school… and something happened, they found those guys all busted up and blood all over Soma."

Julius somehow managed to pale; he had only recently entered Japan and had not heard of this. "What happened? Tell me more."

"I don't really know, I came to the scene late, a flagpole was snapped almost in two, and there's… a lot of blood, a lot of it." He nearly retched. "One guy died… poison I think, it was so nasty… pus and—"

"Okay, I think that's enough of that." Julius raised his hand. "Where is he now?"

"We don't know, Julius, Arikado and Soma left the day before yesterday." Mina sat down; her amber eyes warm with concern.

"Then he's safe for now." The man's ponytail swished faintly as he turned to assure the woman, then level a gaze at Benji.

"Hey…" He felt the hair on the back of his neck prickled. "I really don't want anything to hurt Cross either." He started to get up to find another room. "I'll leave you two alone, sheez."

----

Yamato watched impassively as the cloaked form known as Death glide without effort, the small, almost fragile looking feet barely touching the ground as the spirit trace some forgotten path along the ruined temple, buried within the mountains of the region. With the most feline of precision, he watched, the eyes of ice-sheathed gold flickered at the slightest of movement, with every arc of the bony scythe, even when a hair somehow moved out of place.

Death was… intriguing. The raven-haired ronin mused, as he remained crouched, a clawed hand pressed against the moist, moss-covered earth, the other resting easily upon his knee.

Orlox seemed less attentive, tapping his foot impatiently, his colorless lips curled into a sort of pout that the Japanese native would've expected from an undisciplined child. The Gaki wondered if The Nosferatu is indeed this impudent, or if he is the world's greatest chameleon.

From the great, billowing sleeves of liquid shadow countless sickles of bronze and rust-colored tendons flew like hungry crows at the walls of the desecrated ruin, lining each and every individual tear, doorway, window, and other opening without fail, without a stray shot.

Pulsating tendons crawled from the sickles, lashing over the paper walls, and wooden pillars like a net, thickening, thinning.

Now… that was disgusting! Yoarashi Yamato turned his head away, almost blanching, tongue sticking out just a few centimeters. "May I ask about the purpose of this little… display?"

"Spirits are drawn to unholy places." The dark little grin was more in the liquid eyes then on the frozen mouth.

"That much is obvious." The man tossed strands of his inky hair from his moonstone-hued face. He raised a hand to shield his eyes as a brilliant flash of scarlet light sheared through the bindings of the fleshy 'net'. He blinked, for his eyes had dilated into narrow slits, and it had grown dark almost immediately after the sudden show of light. "Explain that, O master of arcane arts." His voice dripped with annoyed sarcasm as he rose to his full height, the koi-bedecked yukata settled against his figure, the Katana is now the only thing that gleamed in the pale starlight.

"Death is the one source that binds them together, this temple… was desecrated, am I right?" The Germanic vampire tossed back a stringy strand of iron-gray hair, his long rat-like nose almost twitching.

"Yes…" A strange tone seeped into the normally impassive voice. "I've been here when it happened." And died here, he added to himself, as he forced himself to gaze at the ruins. Tendons turned to bloody flesh, wood to bones of some long forgotten giant, as it seemed to breathe harshly, shuddering like a chained beast. Death cut through the cording that sealed the door from the outside world – blood pooling on the ground as the tendons snapped with an uncomforting rabbit-like shriek. "You're binding Death to here…?"

"Exactly, to draw in the wondering spirits." He crossed his arms over his chest as they watched the life-taker cross the threshold, the delicate - almost bony hands brushed over the flesh soothingly, and a low lilting voice singing in a language known to no human, and no human could ever make sense of it's stirring, hypnotic rhythm.

"And thus lure the Dhampire and the youth?" The Gaki mused as he listened to the melody. "What is it that he sings?"

"A song of mourning, apparently. I did not know he even had the voice for song."

"They say even a Swan sings when dying," Yoarashi Yamato purred as he turned from the gruesome site and moved down the mountainside with the grace of a hunting cat.

"Cats… can't do a thing with them!" Orlox cursed as he followed after, almost skeletal arms folded over the chest.

---

"Benji, May I ask why you got a skinned cat in your backpack?" Julius held up a russet-colored hide of a short-tail cat.

The teen just stood in the doorway, his mouth slightly parted in shock. "Wha… what are you doing in my room?" He finally choked out as he looked at the Vampire Hunter, and the belt.

"There were things that didn't seem quite right…" was the man's reply as he continued emptying out the pack, allowing a few notepads, a Norihun, a few sample bottles of rum, small bags of crushed flowers, a pocket knife, and numerous pencils to spill on the comforter. "And as a friend of Soma's, I had to make sure." Again he turned focus from the bed to the pelt he had removed earlier.

"I'm his friend too!" Benji snatched the hide from the man's hands, his eyes smothering in rage. "And it's a Lynx pelt, not a skinned cat!" He held the item close to his chest as if it was dear to him. "Look… Don't take my things out – Okay, I admit I'm a change-shifter of sorts, but that doesn't mean I want to hurt anyone."

"A change-shifter?" The Belmont questioned as he summoned the old magic in his blood, and teleported into the doorway.

"I said I don't want to hurt anyone…!" The young man held the skin closer to him, eyes wide with alarm.

"Honestly?" Julius closed the gap quickly with his long strides. "Perhaps you are telling the truth, then again – you could be trying to harm him – as that you haven't been quite open, I'm not inclined to trust you so readily."

"…What would you think they said if I told them I was a Yeldnalooshi? There's just things you just can't say on first meeting."

---

Soma groaned, eyes opening slowly. "Mmmh…?" The albino started to rise up, but was forced to remain by some heavy straps that bound him to the mattress. "What…? Arikado! Genya Arikado! What's going on!"

"Sssssh… Young Master is resting, Master." A tiny, whispering voice brushed against his ear. Then a weight settled on his chest. It was a small little imp about the size of a kitten with black-violet scales, curved antelope-like horns, tiny wings, and a mauve underbelly, his beady button eyes looked over the young man, bowing respectfully.

"Master? Oh never mind, Okay – why am I tied up, Imp?" Soma glared at the thing most venomously, and knew himself well enough that if he weren't tied to the bed, he would've turned the thing into a messy little snowflake on the far wall in a heartbeat.

"For your protection, Master – You were crying for the Mistress, and he were afraid you be lured by nasty, nasty walking-dreams." The Imp wringed its hands frantically, shaking its wedge-shape head just so – like a midwife mulling over a disappointing delivery.

"Look, One, I am not your master, Two – it's called Sleep-walking you nimrod, and Three, Who the hell is this Mistress?" He laid his head against the pillow again, still rather groggy, and far too easily agitated.

"You don't know the Mistress? But… Master, The Mistress is who you love, who is mother to the young Master – how could you forget the Mistress?" The small creature squealed in horror, yanking at the black cotton fabric that peeked between the straps. "Have the spell that made you young made you forget?"

"For the last time, I am not your Master!"

"Constine – Get off of Soma," Arikado stood in the doorway, seeming to fill it despite his slenderness. He petted the infernal being as it leapt into his arms, and curled like a kitten would. "You know, Soma – you are quite loud when you sleep."

"Would you untie me? Or do you have sick bondage fantasies you are not telling me?"

"Very well, now that you are awake, I suppose you do need to get up." The Dhampire leaned over, the deft hands unfastening the leather straps as Constine scampered and settled on his shoulder, watching with owl-like eyes. "I'm certain you also wish to know where you are."

Soma glanced about as he took in the surroundings; the old golden oak-panel walls had obviously seen better days as did the heavy velvet drapes that either concealed the dusty, overflowing bookshelves, or windows that in his mind would no doubt be either barred or covered by shudders – the only light in this room was a large wrought iron candelabra on the maple dresser, and a large wheel-like chandelier above the thick hunter green canopy of the bed. To his crystalline eyes, there seem to be no sign of any sort of modern conveniences – such as electricity had ever grace this room at any point in it's life. The young man also had a sneaking suspicion that this wasn't the typical décor of the rich and influential in Japan.

"Now that you mention it, I do – We're still in Japan, right?"

"Not exactly, Soma." The Dhampire settle next to the young man, his honeyed eyes looking at him with an almost brotherly concern.

"If this is going to be story time, spare me – I had my fill of who I am, what I am, and how I can fuck up the world, and I don't need any more of it, especially not from you." He turned away with a huff, his mind brewed angrily on a memory he had wished he had forgotten.

"In hindsight, I should have warned you." His voice was cool, and flat as it seemed to have always been, but his expression seemed to have softened. "But I was uncertain as to how you would've responded, and I had thought keeping you ignorant would have offer you protection from Jones until you gain strength."

"What difference would it had made?" Soma turned, fists pounded into the bed, eyes blazed like blue fire. "I still would've killed Graham Jones – he would've still tried to kill me for 'stealing his souls'…" He left out a sudden, sharp bark of laughter, full of mirth and disgust, as the irony had finally dawned on him. "He was the thief, not me… so by his logic… I had the right to kill him…." The laugh died in his throat, and he sighed. "It was inevitable -- no matter what I did, or you did, or anyone else did – it would had have happened anyway, would it?"

"Prophesies had been broken before – I had seen it happen, however – I do not believe that would have happen in your case, you are too heavily marked as one of destiny, a Marienkind of sort." The son of Dracula eyes shut tightly, as he listened to the settling of the house, the beating of Soma's heart, the whispering wind outside, and knew aside from them, they were alone.

"Christ-Child? More like Anti-Christ." He smirked wryly, "Now – did you wish to protect me because I was the 'vessel' or because you like me? And don't lie to me." His eyes narrowed, brows knitted together as he watched the taller man.

"For me, it was merely a precaution to prevent my Father's return at the first, but I could not help but admire your resolve."

"And you artfully answer without giving much information as always." Soma Cruz sneered as he rose from the bed. "Okay, give me the straight answer for once, how are you going to clear my name with the murders – if that is your intention at all, and how is staying here suppose to protect me?" He folded his arms across his chest – reminding Adrian of how his Father would stand just moments before some unfortunate servant would meet a grisly end for incompetence.

"Sit down." Arikado ordered with such an aura of authority that it startled the young man to obey without a peep. "If you would have patience I will tell you."


	14. Memories

oSorry – life was hell. This will be a short chapter

Jomei had quickly pulled the cell phone from his pocket, and clicked one of the automated numbers he had stored.

"Kaemon!" The blue-streaked hair man exclaimed when he heard the phone being picked up by his twin. "Guess what I saw on my way to the Isis' Pink." He exclaimed, nearly bouncing in place.

"What? Turo Miyuki?" Kaemon questioned skeptically as he tapped his pen on the rather fact anatomy textbook. "You see her every other week, you got her on the brain."

"No," Jomei rolled his eyes as he moved out of the sidewalk, and into the park, cell phone to ear, guitar case in his other hand "It's Soma," He whispered almost conspiratorially. Then he heard the sound of things tumbling over, and was almost beside himself in laughter. It was too easy to excite his two-and-a-half minute older brother.

A few moments of swearing, and finally he responded. "Soma? What? Where did you see him?" Kaemon asked, as he tried to gather up his textbooks, and notepad. "You better not be joking."

"I saw him in this car, a Lexus! Though I didn't think he saw me..." Jomei exclaimed as laid the case down as he rested against the gnarly, twisted cherry tree.

"Are you certain it's him?" Kaemon ran a hand through his messy, dark brown hair, almost shaking with suppressed excitement.

"How many albinos are there in Japan? Not that many, and Kaemon – he's practically our brother, I think I could spot him even if I was blindfolded with one foot behind my back." He exclaimed as he shrugged his shoulders, head tilted in the old 'I know better' gesture. "You're the Doc, you should know the odds of albinism,"

"And mind explaining how does the one foot factor into this?" The medical student questioned as he raised a brow, picturing the image in his head, then his mind strayed to other thoughts, brooding.

--

It was at the airport, He could remember it like it was yesterday – he and his brother were leaning against one of the pillars, half-bored out of their minds, waiting for this boy that was going to stay over for the school year. It wasn't exactly a new thing for them, that their parents hosted guest students from other countries since they were elementary students.

Thank god it's not going to be an American or a German, Kaemon sighed as he watched his father checked his watch for what seem like the umpteenth time – all they know is that he is a secondary school student from Barcelona Spain, named Soma Cruz – a rather odd name, but who knows with these foreigners. He rubbed his regulated bowl-cut hair as his eyes wondered over to his mirror-imaged twin, who seemed to have fallen asleep standing up.

Movement, and the cord was removed by an attendant, as the passengers walked out of the airbus, most of them were exchange students, holding travel totes, staring wild-eyed at the surroundings, seemingly trying to make sense of it.

Except for one – he stood out immediately in Kaemon's mind; the boy had chalk-white skin, platinum-to-white colored hair that was stopped at his pointed chin. He moved like someone who was familiar with the layout of the airport, making only cursory glances – and went right over to his family.

"Hello, you are Cruz Soma?" His mother questioned as she bowed to the teen in greeting, her long dark hair falling over her face.

"Yes, you are the Muyaki family?" The near-albino asked in heavily accented-Japanese, a smile appearing on his face, he really did seemed to be quite happy to be there. And he was – talking rapidly, asking questions about expectations, and laughing at (what he thought) were rather stupid jokes Jomei made.

He was so different then – Then the summer term, in 2036 (Soma had been arriving every chance he could – something he found curious but never really questioned at the time), He wanted to go to the Shrine to see the eclipse with Soma, but his boss didn't think he deserved a day off. Soma returned home that evening – it seemed like someone had pulled a fog over him, he seemed distant, and was far more irritable. He laughed, and smiled, however, it was clearly forced, and he unconsciously kept his distance from the others. Over time, this aloofness did fade, but the boy did seem like he's hiding a bad secret.

---

Is what happened on that day somehow the cause of the mess? Kaemon wondered as he listened to Jomei rattled on about what they can do, to help their 'brother'.

"Jomei – nothing." The pre-med student sighed as he leaned against the wall.

"What? You saying we don't do anything for him? You crazy!" The phone crackled as his twin raised his voice.

"Look, you're a small-time musician working in dives-" He started to explain.

"Dives? I have you-"

"I'm a lower classman in medical school, no one will take us seriously, and what can we do? You sing off key while I rattle off very vile diseases to make people fell nauseated? It's not going to work, and I trust Soma to know what he's doing, he got a good head on his shoulders." He rolled over Jomei's protest, as he sighed.

"So we wait?" Jomei asked incredulously as he stared at the phone.

"You can learn patience, and one more thing: don't tell our folks, they'll get worried sick, okay?"


	15. Mind Forest

Sorry for the delays, thanks to LadyLunarPhoenix for the help.

---

"Okay, Arikado," Soma sighed as he tucked his feet under him after settling on the bed once more. "Go ahead and explain."

"If you were wondering how you were tied up, you had fallen asleep while we traveled, and I did distinctively remember you had told me you sleep walked. So as a precaution to keep you from inflicting harm on yourself, I had you tied up." The dhampire paused to gather his thoughts, and sort them out in his head. "I did so because I genuinely did not wish for you to be in danger."

"And why's that?" The teen unconsciously leaned closer, as he tilted his head – his cerulean eyes almost gleamed in the low light. "Are you afraid the vessel will break?" There is a slight sneer in his voice.

"In a way yes – but not in the way you think. In a manner, you reminded me much of what my father was, when Mother was alive." Arikado spoke in an unusually soft voice. "I did indeed thought you were just a human-shape vessel for my father's magic, and my perception in the gallery was the image of a broken vase." Then he rose up abruptly, and he looked rather uncomfortable about revealing his thoughts, his secrets to the young man. "However, I can't think that any longer."

"Why not? You did well in believing that in the castle." Soma flicked a white strand of hair from his face. "So what, did you have a epiphany or something?"

"More like it's because you had." The man replied coolly. "The visions, the dreams, and the memories you have been gaining. There is no possible way to say you are just a vessel now."

The room plunged into silence as the words and implication hung over their heads.

--

The forest fell into a deathly silence as the trio left the temple towards the rental car Julius had drove to the shrine in. Benji and Mina were both deep in conversation, unaware of the strange, sudden quiet.

"Mina! Benji! Back to the temple!" The Belmont shouted in alarm as he withdrew a hatchet from his inside coat pocket. With the vampire killer drained of its powers, the older man was forced to hone his skills with other weapons.

"Back to…- what?" The redheaded male called back in confusion, then Mina grabbed his arm in alarm and yanked him back, just as the scent of decay filled his nostrils.

"No time, hurry!" The older man bolted down the stairway towards the blackened aura that appeared in his vision. With that, the Priestess and American rushed up back towards the stairway, with Mina glancing back to see what it was that alarmed the Belmont so.

Shambling corpses swayed, and almost danced around a white cat with twin tails, their bodies making a sickening groan from the shifting of internal organs, and the creaking of bones and loosen tendons. The powerfully-build Belmont skidded to a halt.

A cat? No… something else, Julius crouched, his weapon facing towards the strange cat; it's sharp edge glinting in the evening light. "Leave or be destroyed!"

"I think not," The cat purred in antiquated Japanese. "Dance with him, my flesh puppets," She hissed as the corpses flung themselves at the Englishman.

"I fought worse then this! Do you really think this will stop us?" The russet-haired man grunted as he swung the weapon, slicing through rotting flesh, A quick glanced upwards from the fallen ghoul showed that in the cat's place was a nimble woman of alabaster skin with snow hair, with burning crimson eyes.

"Of course not – foreigner, it's only to soften you up." Yuri smirked as she withdrew war fans from her sleeves, and with a fluid grace, she darted around the undead, moving to strike at the vampire hunter.

He pivoted as he raised the axe to block the strike of one fan, his foot thrust out to smash it against the cat-creature's torso. Who taught you to fight? – Julius wanted to ask – her movements were amateurish, and she telegraphs her next action quite 'loudly'. However, the redhead kept his focus on the fight itself.

A sharp hiss escaped the albino's throat as she attempted to slash him with the spikes on the fan's edge in much the manner a cat would swipe at another. "You fight… well… for a dirty European." She snarled as she stumbled back when the kick connected. "No matter… hssss – your kind will perish." Her pretty face was twisted in a most bestial expression of rage of an aristocrat when finding a mere beggar had insulted her.

"Enough talk." The Belmont snorted between clashes of weapon against weapon. A terrible attacker, but she did know how to parry attacks – he'll give her that. Despite his age, Julius did not wear down as the spar went on, as he kept a sharp eye opened for a flaw in her defense – a mistimed dodge, a parry to the wrong direction or-

A-ha! The feline-like vampire screeched in a manner that would do a banshee proud as the curved blade of the axe dug into her hip, almost bouncing against the pelvis, shearing her skin in a ragged, crooked manner. "Give up already, beast – You were a fool to challenge me directly." He jerked to keep the weapon from catching onto muscle and bone. Last thing he needed was to have it stuck in a creature of unknown vulnerability.

"Challenge?" She backed away quickly, a manicured hand clutching at the injury, her breath coming out as labored hissing. "Har…-" whatever the Gaki was going to say, she quickly changed her mind. "You'll pay for this, you disgusting insect!" With a florid gesture, she pulled some of the down corpse-puppets back up, and started to bolt into the woods, shifting into a small, white cat – so hurried in it she forgot to meld her clothes into the animal form.

"God damn it!" She was just like the vampires, all threats and no sense of courage, Julius cursed as he moved to re-dispatch the ghouls.

---

"…What the hell was that, Mina?" Benji jerked his head back to where they ran from. He had caught the scent of a cat – but it wasn't… normal. Somehow it was both part of nature and yet not.

"Gaki, Nekotama, they're something like vampire cats – that can control corpses." The priestess explained quickly as she shut the door behind them. "Don't worry – he can handle it. Julius has fought worse."

"Why us though?" The half-Navajo pointed to himself. "Is it about cross?"

"Most likely, they're probably trying to get him to show himself – oh! I wish Arikado let us know where they went!" The young woman slammed her hands against the door.

"So – what? We can't just hole ourselves up in here!" Benji looked exasperated. "And how the hell does a vampire get on sacred ground?"

"Gaki are different from western vampires – they can go on sacred ground unless it's specifically warded against them – they are Youkai – which – how best to describe it? Nature demons." Mina went into a back room, where her parents kept the scrolls. She wasn't sure if they were work or not. "Forgot what you see in those movies, a lot of it isn't true, I'm sorry you got dragged into this whole mess!"

"Hey – knowing me, I'd probably get in some sort of trouble like this… you sure he can handle those things?" The stocky teen glanced towards the window nervously.

"Yes he can-" The door was pushed open, the two teens turned about looking at the new arrival.

---

"Yamato!" A voice called out to the Gaki. The ronin turned about to see the owner of the voice. Ayame stopped at the doorway, her hair disheveled.

"Yes?" The man questioned as he rose up from his lily pad position.

"That horrid thing… tried to kiss me!" The onnagatta hissed as her unusually broad hands reached up to fix her hair.

"What?" The voice was low, and throaty – a veiled threat with in. "How dare he… I should-"

"No, you gave your word, you can't go back on it," She urged himself as she moved forward, her fingertips brushing against his chin.

"He tried to violate you."

"He is a stupid westerner, he'd probably be shuddering in horror, if he knew." The painted lips chuckled in cruel amusement. "Besides, if violation would require the removal of my clothing, Brother." The tall woman tone was teasing on the 'brother', as she kissed his cheek.

"I'm going to keep a closer grip on that Orlox, Sister." A faint smile appeared as if they're sharing a strange secret. "This death god he summoned does not care for him either – perhaps another alliance can be made, one that doesn't involve a two-faced man who goes behind one's back."

"Hmmm… I like how you think." She slid down, pushing him down with her so he would sit. With that, she laid her head in his lap.

"Is there something you don't like about me?" Yamato curled a clawed finger around a strand of Ayame's raven tresses, the soft sigh of his silk sleeve audible only to them.

"Let me think…" She turned her head so her chocolate eyes met his amber ones. Pausing, her face scrunched up as if it was hard to think. "No." Ayame smiled.

---

"So… I'm your dad? Does that mean I can ground you?" Soma tried to joke – even if his mind tried to rebel against this. No, no, and hell no! He thought with some disgust at himself – he couldn't really be Dracula himself, could he?

"I hardly find that funny," Arikado's lips pursed as he stood up from his seat, brushing a stray bit of lint from his sleeve, using it as an excuse to avert his eyes. Part of him felt that tiny spark of remorse at breaking the news to the boy – but his cold logic squashed it flat. He had to know, for everyone's sake.

"I know…" You never found anything funny, the albino pouted. "The – woman that imp mention – was that your… mother?"

"Aye, and the love of your life in your previous form." The man took in his breath sharply. The memory – despite his centuries long lifespan was still painful, still as fresh as when he was fourteen. Alucard could almost smell the burning flesh; hear her pleas to him. He steeled himself, trying not to become nauseated.

"She must've been something," The young man shifted in his seat, staring at his feet. Soma wondered if he thought hard enough, maybe he could… perhaps know this person.

"She was. She was." His voice cracked in an uncharacteristic display of emotion, turning his head away.

"Adrian… I'm sorry." The young man bolted up. Then wondered how he knew that name, his hand clamped over his mouth in shock. "Ahn…?"

"It's nothing, Soma-" He almost flinched at being called by his natural name. "She was a good woman, you'll recall in time."


End file.
